By WES NAKAMA
By WES NAKAMA
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
HONOLULU — University of Hawaii sophomore Cindy Nguyen fell short in the NCAA Women’s Singles Tennis Championships first round Wednesday, losing to Clemson senior Beatrice Gumulya, 6-1, 6-4, at Waco, Texas.
Nguyen is ranked No. 95 in the nation; Gumulya is No. 60.
Nguyen won the first game of the first set, before Gumulya ran away with the next six in a row. Nguyen again took the first game in the second set, but Gumulya answered by winning the next three games before Nguyen took the fifth game to close to margin to 3-2 and then broke Gumulya’s serve to tie it at 3-3.
Gumulya then broke Nguyen’s serve to go up, 4-3, and held serve to build a 5-3 lead. Nguyen held serve to close to 5-4, but Gumulya took the next game to win the match.
This was Nguyen’s second straight NCAA Singles Championships appearance – she is the only player in program history to qualify. Nguyen, the two-time reigning Big West Conference champ, finished the season with a 15-7 overall record, including a 15-3 mark in dual matches. She became the first Rainbow Wahine to be named Conference Player of the Year and has been named as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s “One to Watch” in the southwest region for next season.
BASEBALL ’BOWS CLOSE SEASON IN ARIZONA: The UH baseball team will close out its season this weekend with one game against Abilene Christian and two vs. Arizona.
The Rainbow Warriors (21-29) will play Abilene Christian at 11 a.m. (Hawaii time) Saturday as part of a rare split doubleheader, followed by a 3 p.m. game vs. Arizona. UH and Arizona will then play a single game at 9 a.m. Sunday for the season finale.
The Abilene Christian game and Sunday’s game vs. Arizona will each be broadcast on live radio via ESPN 1420 AM, and the Arizona game Saturday will be carried by NBS Sports 1500 AM.
Abilene Christian is 15-37; Arizona is 28-23.
The Rainbow Warriors were swept at home by Cal State Fullerton in a three-game series last weekend.
Junior shortstop Jacob Sheldon-Collins, who batted ninth for much of the season, now leads Hawaii in batting with a .284 average. Junior designated hitter Alex Sawelson is next at .274 with 20 runs batted in, followed by freshman first baseman Eric Ramirez (.271, 29 RBIs) and freshman catcher Chayce Ka‘aua, the Hilo High grad who is batting .264 with 16 RBIs.
UH’s starting rotation of LJ Brewster, Tyler Brashears and Jarrett Arakawa will be making their final appearances. Brewster is 6-5 with a 2.93 earned run average and 58 strikeouts, Brashears is 8-4 with a 1.91 ERA and 64 strikeouts, and Arakawa is 3-4 with a 3.65 ERA and 26 strikeouts.
Sophomore closer and Waiakea grad Quintin Torres-Costa enters the final series at 1-3, with eight saves, a 4.08 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings.
WOMEN’S SAILING TEAM HEADS TO NATIONALS: The UH women’s sailing team will compete in the Intercollegiate Sailing Association Sperry Nationals from May 25 through May 28 at Newport, R.I.
The Rainbow Wahine qualified after finishing fourth in the Pacific Coast Collegiate Sailing Conference championships on April 20.
Sailing for UH at the Nationals will be Katrina Berry, Cole Brauer, Caitlin Schadt, Elizabeth Boystak, Maddie Anzivino and Louise Curry.
The UH coed sailing team will compete in the Gill Coed Nationals from May 31 through June 4.