By Fred Guzman
ESPN550.com
Hawaii has lived by the long ball all season. Today was no exception.
Traci Yoshikawa blasted a two-run homer to right-center field in the top of the seventh, giving the Rainbow Wahine a 3-2 victory over Missouri in the Women's College World Series softball opener in Oklahoma City.
Katie Grimes led off the UH seventh with a single to right-center and was replaced by pinch runner Dara Pagaduan. Yoshikawa then ripped the first pitch from Missouri's Kristin Nottelmann for her 12th homer and the Rainbow Wahine's NCAA-record 156th of the season.
Stephanie Ricketts got the Tigers in order in the bottom of the seventh for the complete-game victory, improving her personal record to 30-8 and Hawaii's season mark to 50-14.
UH will play its second game tomorrow against UCLA or Florida at 1 p.m., Hawaii time.
Hawai'i's Alex Aguirre hit a 2-2 pitch from Nottelmann to right-center field for a home run with one out in the second inning to give the Rainbow Wahine a 1-0 lead.
Today's other first-round games in the double-elimination tournament will pit Pac-10 and SEC teams. UCLA (45-11) will play Florida (48-8), Arizona (48-11) will face Tennessee (47-13) and defending national champion Washington (50-7) will meet Georgia (48-11).
The event's three-game championship series will start on Monday.
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