Day 1
10:09 AM: Good morning fans. After a 5:30 am departure from Dedmon, the team arrived at the Charlotte airport around 8:30 am. We made it through check-in and security without any hitches. The ladies are settling in at our gate before we board at 10:30 am. This is the first flight for sophomore pitcher Stephanie Dameron. She's a little nervous, but Steph passed the first test as she made it through security without any beeps or bag checks! Wish her luck. I'll try to check in once we have a few hours in LAX. Less than 14 hours until we land in Honolulu.
12:30 AM (HT): Everybody's settled in and ready to go to bed after a long day. Nothing too exciting on the plane as the ladies slept the majority of the trip. The team and our luggage arrived safely in Honolulu. With all the luggage and the players crammed into a SUV and three minivans, we made the 30 minute drive, to the houses in Kaneoe. That was followed by a little grocery shopping spree at Safeway, dinner and bed. We'll be back up early in the morning for a 9 a.m. practice at the field.
Day 2
8:30 PM (HT): As I write this the team is doing an hour of study hall, while the coaching staff is preparing for our first game tomorrow (11 pm EST) against host Hawai'i. The Highlanders began the day with a breakfast of eggs and turkey bacon provided by Chef Dean and pineapple cut (incorrectly) by Brian (that's why I stick to pictures and this blog).
The day consisted of a two-hour practice at Hawai'i's field, a trip to Pearl Harbor and the Pearl City Sam's Club (long story). Our evening concluded with a dinner of grilled tuna steaks, broccoli and brown rice. The latter two prepared exsquisitley by athletic trainer Katlyn Joyner.
I know there is a link to the you tube page, but it's been a little hectic the first two days getting any video. Hopefully tomorrow we'll get a few of the ladies on their early thoughts about the trip so far. (full day 2 photo gallery)
ALOHA
Day 3
It’s game day and another beautiful sunrise to get it going. The ladies we’re allotted an hour at the beach before lunch. They took full advantage of Kailua Beach’s clear blue water and the sun, going for a dip then laying out for a few minutes. Following lunch, the Beall twins (Michelle and Nichole) did a video tour of our living quarters (video).
The game against Hawai’i started off well with Nichole hit two home runs to give a 3-1 lead over the nationally ranked host. However, the Rainbow Wahine scored eight runs in the sixth and defeated the Highlanders. The first of Nichole's two long balls surpassed Kristen Shifflett for the all-time mark which is now at 43. It was her third two-home run contest and it was the 17th time a Highlander went yard twice in a game.
Day 4
Another game day with two against UC Santa Barbara and No. 20 Florida State. Well, the day didn't begin on a good not as the Highlanders fell to the Gauchos, 2-1. A few hours later, senior
Hannah Ojeda laced a first pitch single to the fence in left and junior Ryndee Ruch scored from second in the seventh. That sequence erased the memories of the earlier defeat as Radford picked up its biggest win in program history, a 3-2 triumph over previously undefeated FSU.
Day 5
Woke up to a pretty heavy rain in Kaneohe. The final day of the Bank of Hawai'i Classic started a little later than schedule, but we were able to get in both our game. Our game against Hawai'i didn't go as planned. A solid relief effort kept us in the game, but in the end the Highlanders fell, 5-1. That set up a matchup with UCSB. Behind a strong six innings from Micalah and a pair of solo home runs by Nichole and Jackie Warr (1st of career), we shut the Gauchos out, 3-0.
3/9/11 - Early morning flood cleanup in full effect. We woke up to hail and heavy rains pounding on the roof of the house a little before 6 AM. While I was sitting on the couch, I noticed the floor moving. When I took a step off to investigate, my foot made a splashing sound. The whole downstairs was flooded, including the two bedrooms. After warning the twins in one room and Micalah & Vicki in the other, I informed coach. We immediately started sweeping the water out the front door as it flowed in from the driveway. We grabbed pots and pans and started emptying the water from the overflowing walkway.
Finally everyone filed in from their rooms and the other houses to help with the cleanup. Mops, towels, dustpans and brooms were used to clear up as much water as possible. The second house then rushed back to the pool and emptied some of its water, so it would flood their living room.
We are in a holding pattern right know as the games have been pushed back. Forcast is looking grim even though it's calm outside at the moment.
Last Day...
It's our last day in Hawai'i. Time has flown by and what an adventure it has been. The trip was capped off by snorkling in Hanauma Bay and a couple of snenic stops, including the Halona Blowhole. They are now doing laundry and cleaning the house before we head to the airport in three hours. Pictures from the entire trip will be up within a week. Below, Jessie, Mackenzie, Vicki and Coach Johnson pose for a picture with the Bay behind them.
