HONOLULU - Seattle University softball’s (1-1) offense exploded in the opening frame against North Dakota (1-1), a lead it never relinquished, to down the Fighting Birds 5-2 before nearly completing the comeback against tournament host Hawai’i (2-0), falling to the Rainbow Wahine 2-1 in day one of the Bank of Hawai’i Paradise Classic at Rainbow Wahine Stadium on Friday.
Senior Taylor Fitch led the Redhawks on the day, posting a .400 batting average, combining for two hits, a run and an RBI in five at bats. Junior Avari Morris matched Fitch and picked up her stellar hitting from a season ago, recording a .400 batting average for two hits, including a double, in five at bats.
Freshman Mia Powell led the Redhawks against the Rainbow Wahine, ending her first day as a Redhawk with three hits, including an RBI double, in three at bats. Junior Karen Spadafora also went for multiple hits on the day, tallying two, including a double, for a .333 batting average after six at bats. Spadafora led the Redhawk defense with a combined 13 put outs. Graduate Jay Ross matched Spadafora with 13 putouts from first base in her Redhawk debut.
The Redhawks went errorless to start the season, while combining for six runs, 10 hits and 6 RBIs across both games.
Junior Berkley Vance tossed all 7.0 innings of SU’s win over North Dakota, handing out eight strikeouts to 30 batters faced in the win. She held the Fighting Hawks to a .160 batting average to end day one with a 2.00 ERA. Morris pitched all 6.0 innings against Hawai’i and struck out four of the 24 batters she faced. She combined for a 2.33 ERA after day one while holding the Rainbow Wahine to a .190 batting average.
Fitch and Morris led the Redhawks in the win against North Dakota, combining for four hits. The pair each scored while Fitch tallied an RBI. Spadafora joined Fitch and Morris with two hits and a run, while also recording an RBI. Sophomore Abbie Fales recorded two RBI.
Fitch’s RBI single brought in Morris for the first run of the day, while a hit from Spadafora loaded the bases early. Ross was walked to bring in senior Ava Sin for her first run in her return to play. Fales dialed up a 2 RBI single with the bases loaded to score both Fitch and Spadafora before senior Brooklyn Jones grounded out to North Dakota’s short stop to score Ross for SU’s first out of the inning.
The Redhawks held the Fighting Hawks scoreless through the opening three frames before North Dakota broke through for two runs in the fourth. SU shut down the Fighting Hawks through the final three innings as Vance picked up two more strikeouts following the fourth inning to help guide SU to the opening day win over North Dakota 5-2.
Shortly after their first win of the season, the Redhawks took to the field to take on Hawai’i. The Rainbow Wahine struck first in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs off two hits. Morris and the Redhawk defense shut down Hawai’i through the closing five frames.
In the top of the fourth, Fales was walked to get a runner on, facing one out as Powell came to the plate. The freshman launched an RBI double to left center field to cut the Rainbow Wahine’s deficit in half. Powell’s heroics came back in the top of the seventh as she captured her third hit of the day to get the tying run on base facing one out, but the Redhawks hit into a double play before narrowly completing the comeback in game two, falling 2-1 to Hawai’i.
The Redhawks return to action tomorrow afternoon as they face North Dakota and Pacific before completing the weekend against Hawai’i on Saturday.
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