Jamie McGaughey’s three-run homer with Hawaii down to its final two outs keyed an incredible comeback as Hawaii erased a three-run deficit with nine runs in the seventh inning to beat host and top seed Fullerton State 11-5 today at the Big West Softball Championship tournament.
With its fourth win in a row and second in the tournament at Fullerton’s Anderson Family Field, UH (33-18) advanced in the winners’ bracket of the two-loss elimination tournament. The winner of the six-team tourney moves on to the NCAA Tournament. It would be the first NCAA appearance since 2013 for Bob Coolen, who is in his 34th and final season as UH head coach.
The Titans needed just three outs with a 5-2 lead to send the Rainbow Wahine to the losers’ bracket of the double elimination tournament, but UH’s bats came alive with one out in the seventh.
Larissa Goshi singled with one out and moved to third on Izabella Martinez’s double. After a walk to Carys Murakami, Milan Ah Yat singled down the right field line to score Goshi and Martinez, making it 5-4.
That set the stage for McGaughey’s blast, scoring pinch runner Maycen Gibbs and Murakami ahead of her.
The Wahine had the lead, but they were not done.
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Starting with a single by Lia Thomas, they loaded the bases, still with one out, and Chloe Borges walked to force Thomas in and make it 8-5.
Martinez reached on an error that cleared the bases to make it 11-5.
Millie Fidge pitched the final 4 2/3 innings for UH, not allowing a run after one in the fourth inning when the Titans expanded their lead to 5-1.
Fullerton fell to 37-16. Two of the Big West regular-season champion’s losses were against UH at home.
Martinez started the game with a 3-2 walk, and scored from third four batters later when Thomas grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded and one out.
The Titans countered in the home half. Nataly Lozano’s single scored Colby McClinton, who was hit by an 0-2 pitch from Wahine starter Addison Kosterncich.
Fullerton grabbed the lead with a three-run third, keyed by Sarah Coccillos’ two-run, one-out single. Fidge relieved and avoided more damage.
Through four innings, McGaughey’s single was UH’s only hit off Fullerton starter Trisha McCleskey.
McClinton’s solo homer made it 5-1 in the fourth.
UH came up empty in the fifth despite a single by Borges to start the inning.
Alyssa Nakagawa broke through with a run-scoring double in the sixth, closing it to 5-2.
Hawaii advances to a winner’s bracket game on Friday. A win in that game would pit the Wahine against the losers’ bracket champion, needing to win one of two to take the conference title.