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Memphis Runs Out of Time in Comeback; Falls 5-3 to Hawai'i
March 13, 2009
For Immediate Release HONOLULU, Hawai'i - A sixth inning rally by the University of Memphis softball team came an inning too late, as rain forced an early conclusion in a 5-3 loss to the University of Hawai'i on Friday night in the Chevron Spring Fling Tournament. Rain delayed the game at 9:11 p.m. with two outs in the sixth and runners on second and third for Memphis. Officials later decided the game would not continue due to Hawai'i's tournament policies, and the contest was ruled complete through five innings. Junior Vanessa Walle (4-4) entered the game in the circle in relief to start the second and held Hawai'i to one hit through four official innings (five unofficially). Sophomore Kimber Bossom (5-2) started the game for Memphis and suffered the loss after allowing five runs on four hits with one strikeout and a walk. Hawai'i jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning led by a grand slam by first baseman Amanda Tauali'i. Tanisha Milca led off the game with a single up the middle and Clare Warwick followed with a walk. Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimanm then hit a ground ball to shortstop that senior Leila Dolfo attempted to tag Milca and then throw out Warwick at second. Both runners were ruled safe on the fielder's choice. With no outs, Tauali'i hit the grand slam to right, her seventh dinger of the year. Kanani Pu'u-Warren followed the home run with a single up the middle, and after reaching second on a ground out, scored on a single up the middle by Katie Grimes. Memphis scored one run in the bottom of the first and threatened to break out a big inning. Freshman Lelani Bernardino reached on a fielding error by the shortstop to lead off the inning and senior Brittany Gooch followed with a bunt single. Senior Leila Dolfo then battled through several foul balls to draw a walk to load the bases with no outs. But Stephanie Ricketts got both Walle and senior Tori Gross to strike out before freshman Kamri Chester delivered an RBI single through the right side. The Tigers scored two more runs in the fourth inning to draw within two of the Rainbow Wahine. Sophomore Maddie McKinley hit a one-out single up the middle and freshman Jessica Phillips followed with her first career home run, a towering two-run blast over the left field fence. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Memphis put two runners in scoring position with two outs before the rain came. Chester singled up the middle and reached second on a wild pitch. Phillips then followed with a walk. Chester advanced to third on the wild ball four and Phillips stole second. Freshman Nikki Moreno, who doubled in her first at bat in the second inning, was due up for the Tigers. However, none of the stats compiled in the incomplete sixth inning are official. Memphis will complete its play in the tournament on Saturday with a single game against Wisconsin at 3 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (8 p.m. CST).
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Memphis Tigers
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