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HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i softball team (3-0) swept its doubleheader on Friday defeating Missouri-Kansas City, 5-1 and DePaul 5-0. Both Kaia Parnaby and Stephanie Ricketts earned complete game wins  while freshman Leisha Li'ili'is three-run blast that sailed high over the centerfield fence highlighted UH's day at the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
 
Hawai`i 5, Missouri-Kansas City 1
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The first game on Friday night was a pitcher's duel between UH's Parnaby and UMKC's Deanna Friese. The game was scoreless through the first five innings with both pitchers stymieing their opponents' offenses. The Kangaroos struck first in the top of the sixth.
 
Kaelene Curry started the one-out rally by getting hit by the pitch. Kelly Fisher then pushed a bunt past a charging third baseman for a single to put runners at first and second. A fielding error at second base loaded the bases for the 'Roos. Then with the bases loaded, Anna Sokolik hit into a fielder's choice to first base with Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu cutting down the runner at home on the force play for the second out. The next batter worked a full count and then was hit by the pitch to force home Fischer from third for the game's first run. The final out was recorded one out later on a groundout to second, with UMKC leading, 1-0.
 
But the 'Bows responded immediately, erupting for five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Kelly Majam led the inning off with a single through the leftside of the infield. After a strike out, Sarah Robinson drilled a double down the leftfield line to score Majam all the way from first base to tie the game at 1-1. Then, after a fly out to center, Alexandra Aguirre came through with a looping single into left-centerfield that drove in Robinson from second for the go-ahead run. Sharla Kliebenstein then drew a walk and Li`ili`i followed with a bomb to straight-away centerfield that sailed over the netting and into the tennis courts. It was UH's Li`ili`i's first collegiate hit and home run of her career. The home run gave UH a four run cushion into the final inning. 
 
Parnaby (1-0) fired 7.0 innings, giving up just the one run on four hits with no walks and eight strike outs.
 
For the Kangaroos, Friese (0-2) threw 6.0 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits with three walks and seven strike outs.


 
Hawai`i 5, DePaul 0
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Ricketts (2-0) fired a two-hit shut out to defeat DePaul, 5-0. She faced just two batters over the minimum (23) with a walk and six strike outs. She retired 17 batters in a row from the first through the sixth inning. It marked her 24th shut-out of her career and first of the season.
 
The Rainbow Wahine broke a scoreless game open with a four-run, fourth inning rally which the 'Bows batted around for the second time in two games. Jessica Iwata sparked the inning with a single through the leftside of the infield. Aguirre was then hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Kliebenstein then executed a crucial sacrifice bunt that pushed both runners into scoring position. Li`ili`i then stepped to the plate and hit a solid single through the rightside of the infield to score Iwata from third and a sprinting Aguirre on the fly from second. Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu kept things going with a single to left and Pagaduan was then hit by a pitch to put two runners on again for the 'Bows. A pop-out to short was UH's second out, but Wartner came through with her third hit of the game, a single to left to score pinch runner Jazmine Zamora from second. Robinson then capped the rally with hard-hit infield single to second to drive in pinch runner Rachel Paragas from third.
 
The Rainbow Wahine added another run in the fifth inning. Aguirre started things by getting beaned for the second time in the game. She later scored on two outs on an opposite-field, Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu double ripped down the firstbase line to give UH a 5-0 lead after five innings.
 
The Blue Demons' Mary Connolly (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits with a walk and two strike outs. Hanna Penna tossed the final two innings, giving up a run on two hits with a walk.
 
The OTWC Paradise Classic concludes tomorrow with bracket play. The No. 2 seed DePaul will face No. 3 UMKC at 11:00 a.m. Hawai`i, the No. 1 seed will face the No. 4 seed Seattle at 1:00 p.m. The losers of the first two games will then play at 3:00 p.m. and the winners will face off in the championship game at 5:00 p.m.