Jenna Rodriguez catapaulted the No. 16 University of Hawai‘i softball team to the women’s College World Series with a walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning, Sunday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This is the first time in school
Jenna Rodriguez catapaulted the No. 16 University of Hawai‘i softball team to the women’s College World Series with a walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning, Sunday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
This is the first time in school history the Rainbow Wahine will play in the women’s College World Series, which is scheduled for June 3-9 at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City and hosted by the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City All Sports Association.
Facing a two-run deficit against No. 1 Alabama and with two outs, Rodriguez pounced on the offering for the home run, according to a UH press release.
Rodriguez opened the scorebook with her 16th season home run in the first inning when she pushed Kelly Majam and Melissa Gonzalez across the plate with her shot to left field.
Majam led the visitor’s half of the inning with a single to right field followed by Gonzalez walking with one out.
The 3-0 lead stood until the fourth inning when Alabama’s Charlotte Morgan drove an opposite-field home run over the right-field fence.
Whitney Larsen took the lead for Alabama in the sixth inning with a three-run home run for the 4-3 lead.
But Hawai‘i answered in the bottom of the seventh when Majam walked and, with two outs, Rodriguez launched the bomb sending the Rainbow Wahine to the women’s College World Series.
The Rainbow Wahine join seven other teams in the field: Tennessee, Washington, Georgia, Arizona, Missouri, Florida and UCLA.
