Hawai’i stuns top-seeded Cal State Fullerton, advances to Big West semifinals

There’s magic in these bats.

The University of Hawai’i softball team pulled off another spectacular come-from-behind victory on Thursday, scoring 10 unanswered runs to down top-seeded Cal State Fullerton (37-16) in the Big West quarterfinals, 11-5. Sophomore 1B Jamie McGaughey delivered the go-ahead blow in the top of the seventh inning, crushing a three-run blast over the fence in right-centerfield as part of a nine-run explosion in the frame for UH.

Millie Fidge earned the win in the circle for the Rainbow Wahine, turning in 4.2 innings of one-run ball as she held the Titans to four hits while keeping Hawai’i (33-18) within striking distance. The junior right-handed pitcher relieved senior Addison Kostrencich, who CSUF tagged for four runs before knocking her out of the game in the third inning.

It’s the 17th time this season that Bob Coolen’s squad has fought back from a deficit to earn a victory, this time rallying against the hottest team in the conference. The Titans entered the tournament on a 15-game conference win streak, last falling to a Big West foe at the end of March when the Rainbow Wahine took two-of-three in Fullerton.

McGaughey, Liliana Thomas and Larissa Goshi led the UH offense with two hits apiece, combining to score five of the 11 Rainbow Wahine runs. McGaughey was the hero late, destroying her 12th home run of the season to push Hawai’i ahead for the first time since the opening frame.

Making her 150th consecutive start, UH catcher Izabella Martinez turned in a 1-for-3 day at the plate and reached base four times in total as she walked twice and reached on an error to go along with a clutch double that came during Hawai’i’s seventh-inning rally. Martinez had a brief injury scare on the error, colliding with CSUF 1B Ava Arce after the throw drew Arce into the base path, but Martinez ultimately stayed in the game.

Hawai’i struck first in the Big West quarterfinal matchup, pushing across a run in the top of the first after a review revealed that there was no force play at home plate after Sarah Coccillos stepped on third with the bases loaded before throwing home. The Titans erased the deficit quickly, tying it at one in the bottom half of the first.

Cal State Fullerton added on in the bottom of the third, seeing Arce crack an RBI single into the outfield and Coccillos bring home two more runs with a base hit of her own. The Titans made it a 5-1 lead one inning later, seeing 2B Colby McClinton smoke a solo home run as the tournament host and top seed looked to be well on the way to a quarterfinal win.

Just as they did all regular season, the Rainbow Wahine refused to let go of the rope as Fidge settled down after the fourth inning solo shot by McClinton. With the pitching providing them a chance, Hawai’i chipped away at the Titans’ lead.

Alyssa Nakagawa, a senior infielder and alum of Mid-Pac, sparked the rally with a pinch-hit RBI double in the top of the sixth inning before the Rainbow Wahine lineup exploded in the top of the seventh inning with nine runs. After Chloe Borges struck out swinging to lead off the final frame, nine straight batters reached for Hawai’i to push the fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine ahead for the first time since the first inning.

In all, UH tacked on nine runs in the top of the seventh before Fidge slammed the door shut on the top-seeded Titans, sitting down Cal State Fullerton in order in the bottom half of the frame to close it out.

Hawai’i advances to face No. 2 seed CSUN on Friday at 10 a.m. HST with a chance to punch a ticket into Saturday’s Big West Tournament championship. UH went 1-2 against the Matadors during the regular season, splitting a set of games in the middle of March before falling to CSUN on April 23 in a rain-out make-up game, 10-5.

With a victory on Friday, the Rainbow Wahine would have two chances to win one game on Saturday to clinch the inaugural Big West Tournament crown. If UH falls on Friday morning, they will have a chance to bounce back in the elimination bracket championship later in the day but would need to win twice on Saturday to claim the conference’s tournament championship.