UHH’s Wilson Earns PacWest Weekly Softball Award

University of Hawai’i at Hilo sophomore Danielle Wilson was named the PacWest Conference’s Pitcher of the Week after two wins Saturday against Chaminade University.

The weekly award covers games played between April 13-19. Former University of Hawai’i pitcher Loie Kesterson, now with California Baptist, was named Newcomer of the Week, while BYU-Hawai’i third baseman Lizabelle Talataina was awarded Player of the Week.

Wilson went the distance in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, allowing one run on eight hits with two strikeouts as UH-Hilo defeated Chaminade 3-1. In the finale, she pitched four-and-a-third innings, allowing one run on five hits as the Vulcans got the 11-1 mercy rule win in five innings.

“I wanted to go out there and throw strikes and I knew that my teammates could play behind me,” Wilson said. “With the first game, it was a little more stressful because we didn’t score as many runs, but we kept each other in the game. With the second game, we scored a lot of runs, so it kept the momentum going and it helped me able to just throw strikes and I knew that my defense would play behind me.”

Wilson improved to 13-7 on the season with a 3.66 earned run average. She has won six of her last seven starts. Her win total is good for seventh in the conference.

UH-Hilo (30-16) has won nine consecutive games, which is important in trying to maintain its place in the NCAA Division II West Region rankings. The most recent poll, released April 15, placed the Vulcans eighth. The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA Regionals.

“I think we all look at each other and believe that as long as we play as a team, that nobody can beat us,” Wilson said of her team’s recent streak. “That’s really our thought process going out day to day, going through practices.”

The PacWest and regular season finale for UH-Hilo will be held Saturday as the Vulcans will host Hawai’i Pacific University. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1 p.m. The two teams split a doubleheader in Kaneohe on April 12.