University of Hawai'i sophomore TJ Kua shot a 4-under-par 68 yesterday to open a five-stroke lead entering today's final round of the Hawai'i State Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

Kua shot nines of 36-32, making an eagle and three birdies at the Pearl Country Club course. He has a 7-under 209 total.

Punahou senior Bradley Shigezawa is alone in second at 71—214, followed by Zady Ari (71—217), Jonathan Ota (70—218) and Kazuya Koura (70—219).

Kamehameha eighth-grader Donny Hopoi aced the sixth hole en route to a 78.

SOFTBALL

UH TO PLAY DEPAUL

Hawai'i defeated Troy, 7-3, yesterday to advance to the championship game of the Pepsi Malihini Aloha Tournament at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

The Rainbow Wahine will meet DePaul at 10 a.m. today in the tournament final. Loyola Marymount plays Troy for third place at noon.

DePaul beat Loyola Marymount, 2-0, in the yesterday's other semifinal behind Becca Heteniak's two-hit, 10-strikeout pitching.

Earlier in the day, Bree Brown pitched a four-hitter with 13 strikeouts and no walks as DePaul beat UH, 6-2. UH pinch-hitter Stephanie Ricketts got her first career hit, a solo homer, in the fifth and Amanda Tauali'i hit a solo shot in the seventh for the 'Bows.

Also, Troy beat Loyola Marymount, 10-2.

HPU SWEEPS BYUH

Ashley Valine pitched a two-hitter with six strikeouts and one walk as host Hawai'i Pacific beat Brigham Young-Hawai'i, 8-0, yesterday to complete a Pacific West Conference doubleheader sweep.

Maile Kim hit a two-run double and grand slam for HPU (17-1, 11-1).

In the opener, Sherise Musquiz and Chelsea Luckey teamed on a six-hitter as HPU won, 9-0. Kim had a two-run homer and Breanne Patton a three-run shot.

Ashley Parry and Mindy Rasmussen each had two hits for BYUH (0-20, 0-12).

Also in the PacWest:

Hilo sweeps: Kanani Numata tripled and scored on an error as host Hawai'i-Hilo (16-5, 12-4) beat Notre Dame de Namur (4-14, 2-8), 3-2, in nine innings to complete a sweep. Amber Waracka pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings to earn the victory in relief after pitching a two-hitter to win the opener, 4-0.

Chaminade splits: Melissa Harris had three hits and two RBIs and Shalin Yamaguchi had three RBIs as Chaminade (12-10, 9-5) beat Academy of Art (10-8, 1-1), 8-3, to salvage a split. Ashley Lokey had two hits and two RBIs as Academy of Art won the opener, 5-4.

DIVING

'BOWS MISS QUALIFYING

University of Hawai'i junior Stephanie De Lima finished fourth in the platform final at the NCAA Zone E championships in Austin, Texas yesterday, but narrowly missed qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

De Lima scored 518.25 points in the platform final to place seventh overall in the three-day event, with the top six divers earning NCAA berths.

UH teammates Daniela Nero, Hannah Bocksnick, Douglas Cohen and Thomas Rugg also failed to advance. Cohen was 11th in the platform final with 562.20 points.