IRVINE, Calif—University of Hawai‘i senior shortstop Jessica Iwata of Kaua‘i High School hit .500 and slugged .857 to help lead the Rainbow Wahine to a 4-0 record en route to earning Big West Softball Field Player of the Week honors
IRVINE, Calif—University of Hawai‘i senior shortstop Jessica Iwata of Kaua‘i High School hit .500 and slugged .857 to help lead the Rainbow Wahine to a 4-0 record en route to earning Big West Softball Field Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.
Iwata began the week with a 2 for 4 performance in an 8-1 win at California State Bakersfield. She drilled a double and scored a run as UH picked up momentum for its Big West series at Cal Poly.
After enduring an 0 for 4 day in the opening game at California Polytechnic State University, Iwata proceeded to record five hits in her next six at bats. In the second game, Iwata blasted a solo home run in the fourth inning to tie the contest at 1-1. It was her fifth homer of the season and 52nd of her career. Iwata struck again in the fifth, lacing a single to right that gave the ‘Bows an insurmountable 3-1 lead.
Iwata produced the game-winning RBI in Saturday’s 2-1 victory in the series finale. Iwata drove in UH’s two runs and finished the day 3 for 3 with a double and stolen base. She kick started UH with a first inning RBI single for a 1-0 lead. After Cal Poly knotted the score at 1-1, Iwata pounced on a pitch for an opposite field single that scored Kelly Majam to give UH what eventually was the winning run.
Overall, she leads UH with a .320 average; 31 runs scored; 32 hits; 12 home runs; eight stolen bases; 29 walks; with a .750 slugging percentage and .481 on-base percentage. She has reached base safely in the last 11 games.
Hawai‘i returns home this week to host its final, six-game homestand. The ‘Bows battle second place Long Beach State in a pivotal conference series this week (April 26-27) followed by fourth-place University of California Santa Barbara as the final home series on May 4-5.
