This time the tears couldn’t hide the smiles for the UH-Hilo softball team that concluded its 49-game, 86-day season Saturday with a doubleheader sweep of Hawaii Pacific. ADVERTISING This time the tears couldn’t hide the smiles for the UH-Hilo softball
This time the tears couldn’t hide the smiles for the UH-Hilo softball team that concluded its 49-game, 86-day season Saturday with a doubleheader sweep of Hawaii Pacific.
“It’s been pretty great,” said Brandi Wilson. “But I wish we could play some more. it’s going to be tough not to have this any more.
Wilson, who made the defensive play of the game with a running, over-the-shoulder catch in the sixth inning that preserved the Vulcans’ 1-0 victory, saw a lot in four years with the team and particularly in the last two seasons under coach Peejay Brun.
“It’s been pretty special,” Wilson said, between hugs from teammates and family.
Even on the last day, it was distinctive for the Vulcans, who finished 32-17 overall and 21-9 in the PaWestConference, one game better in each category than in Brun’s first season a year ago.
The first game was a little bit of cavewoman softball, both teams swinging for the fences in a 12-6 win for UHH, which got all its runs in the first two innings, then seemed to flatten out in the game, but not enough to threaten its lead.
The second game was more representative of the sort of team Brun wants to develop — good defensively, fast enough to cause problems on any ground ball, with pitching strong enough to win a 1-0 game.
They will have that to build toward next year with all three pitchers returning, including Danielle Wilson (13-8), who went the distance Saturday in one of her best games of the season. Wilson pitched the first game victory, back on Feb. 5 against Regis College and closed out the season with the bookend win.
Two other seniors beside Brandi Wilson will be missed. Second baseman Brittany Huff played 187 games for the Vulcans and was abundantly aware it has come to an end. Tears were flowing the second the final out was made.
Huff scored the game’s only run in the first when she singled, and later scored on a single by Cristina Menjivar.
“Oh, I understand it’s over,” she said, “I just don’t know what to do with my life now; I’ve played 17 years and now it’s all over.”
She actually does have some plans to coach her former club team in Nevada.
Aguinaga plans to go to med school and channel her talents to Children’s Hospital.
“I love that work, but I’m going to miss this,” Aginauga said. “It’s over, I can feel it from head to toe.”
The Vulcans matched the 31 wins from a year ago and managed a bit of revenge in the first game when they ravaged Sharks’ starter Kristen Caskey for nine runs in 1 2/3 innings in a 12-6 game that balanced the scales against Caskey, the only pitcher from the state of Hawaii to be UH Hilo this season.
That was also the only loss suffered by the Vulcans to an in-state team this season. It was a 14-5 loss 16 days earlier in Kaneohe, but this time the bats were alive, at least in the first part of the game.
Brittany Huff singled to right, Cristina Menjivar followed with a walk and Bailey Gaspar, the team’s leading hitter, smashed a 1-2 pitch from Caskey that went over the left field fence like a laser beam, appearing not to rise or fall, just a line drive into the hill.
The Vulcans sent 13 batters to the plate bin the second game, scoring nine runs. Shortstop Tori Garcia had two RBI on a double to the fence in deep left-centerfield, as everyone in the lineup either scored or drove in a run.
With a 12-0 lead, starter Cyanne Fernandez ran into fourth inning difficulties when started off with two walks a base hit, enough to bring in freshman Billi Derleth, who gave up three consecutive singles in what became a five-run inning for the Sharks.
Nicole Viena hit a solo home run in the fifth for HPU’s final tally.
Fernandez came back in and got the win, improving her record to 7-1 in her first season.
