LA MIRADA, California – Hawai'i Hilo Softball's run at the PacWest Championships came to an end with a 10-2 loss to fourth seed Jessup in an elimination game Wednesday afternoon at Freedom Field.
Jessup managed to plate seven runs in the top of the second inning scoring on four hits aided by two costly errors and a wild pitch. The Warriors used four bunt attempts in the frame: a base hit, a sacrifice bunt (reached on error), a successful squeeze bunt and a failed squeeze bunt. Only one of the seven runs scored was marked as earned.
Hawai'i Hilo responded in the bottom of the third with two runs after utilizing back-to-back bunt base hits to help load the bases. Lexie Tilton followed with an RBI single and Mia Joaquin added a sacrifice fly, but that would be all the offense production for the Vulcans.
"Unfortunately when things don't go our way, they just kind of continue to snowball," fifth-year head coach Aisha Sueda said. "Unfortunately it just wasn't our day."
In the first game of the day, Concordia defeated Biola, 6-3, so Jessup advanced to face Biola in the Elimination Bracket Finals and fell in an 11-2 effort to set up a Concordia-Biola rematch tomorrow for the conference title.
In the latest NCAA West Regional Rankings released earlier on Wednesday, Hawai'i Hilo held on to the top No. 7 spot — however, only games up through the end of the last weekend were factored in. The other teams in the West region (California Collegiate Athletic Association and Great Northwest Athletic Conference) will conclude their conference tournaments over the upcoming weekend with final selections unveiled Monday morning at 4 a.m. in the NCAA Selection Show on NCAA.com. In addition to the top three conference champions, the next five teams according to the regional rankings will earn at-large bids for the NCAA West Regional Round set for May 14-16.
NOTES
- Janessa Santos started and went 1.1 innings surrendering five runs (only one earned) on two hits with two walks and one strikeout. Madi Lee followed for 2.1 innings allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits with three walks. Mia Castillo closed out the final 3.1 innings allowing just one run on six hits with three strikeouts.
- Hawai'i Hilo finished with eight hits but left nine runners on base.
- Tilton now has a career slugging percentage of .484 to slot in at No. 9 in the program's record books — ahead of Sierra Green (2009-2010: .478) and below Brinell Kaleikini (2017-2020: .485).
- Tilton's double brought her career total to 29 to move into a tie at No. 8 with Nancy Vega (2001, 03-04) — surpassing Victoria Macias (2024-2025).
- White's two hits brought her career total to 171, moving into a tie at No. 7 with Colleen Aubrey (2012-2015).
- Santos' lone strikeout today brought her season total to 87, tying for No. 8 with Vanessa Salinas (2013) in a single season.
- Hawai'i Hilo: 26-17 Overall (23-11 PacWest)
- Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 6
- Final Conference Finish: No. 3
- Jessup: 26-23 Overall (20-14 PacWest)
- Rocklin, California
- Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 4
- Final Conference Finish: No. 4
UP NEXT
- Monday, May 11 (4 AM): NCAA Selection Show on NCAA.com
- May 14-17 (TBD): NCAA West Regional (TBD)
- 2027 Season
AMONG THE BEST IN THE WEST
The NCAA Division II Championships Committee released its penultimate Division II Softball Regional Rankings earlier on Wednesday listing Hawai'i Hilo at No. 7 out of 10 teams under consideration in the West Region: No. 1 Cal State San Marcos, No. 2 Cal State East Bay, No. 3 Concordia, No. 4 Cal State Dominguez Hills, No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay, No. 6 Biola, No. 7 Hawai'i Hilo, No. 8 Western Washington, No. 9 Northwest Nazarene, No. 10 Saint Martin's. Rankings were based on games played through the end of last weekend.
Three automatic bids are awarded to each of the champions of the PacWest Conference, Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), and California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with five at-large selections rounding out the field. NCAA Regional action is set for May 14-16. Unveiling of host sites and selected teams will be Monday, May 11 at 4 a.m. on NCAA.com.
