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SALT LAKE CITY—The No. 15/19 University of Hawai'i softball team (30-3, 5-1 WAC) pulled away late to defeat Utah, 7-3. UH's Stephanie Ricketts earned her 19th win with her 21st complete game of the season while the offense was buoyed by three home runs by Kelly Majam, Alexandra Aguirre and Jocelyn Enrique on Tuesday afternoon at the Ute Softball Field.
 
Ricketts (19-2, 4-0 WAC) earned the win throwing 7.0 innings, giving up three runs on six hits with five walks and four strike outs.
 
The Rainbow Wahine posted one run in the top of the second to take the early lead. Dara Pagaduan hit a one-out double to centerfield and later was driven home on an RBI single by Brynne Buchanan to rightfield. It was the first career RBI for the junior rightfielder.
 
The 'Bows went up 2-0 in the fifth on an RBI single to second by Jessica Iwata to drive in Kelly Majam—who had walked to lead the inning off—from second base.
 
The Utes (23-9, 0-3 PAC-12) rallied in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at 2-2 on Hannah Clements' two-run home run over the leftfield fence.
 
Hawai'i answered right back in the top of the sixth to see-saw back into the lead. Pagaduan walked to start things off and later with two outs, Majam came through with a two-run bomb to rightfield to give UH a 4-2 lead. The blast was Majam's team-leading eighth of the season and 47th of her career.
 
The Utes mounted another rally in the bottom of the sixth to cut their deficit to 4-3. Tia Palauni walked to start the inning and was followed by Whitney Holm who single to left to put runners at first and second. Palauni was then pinch run for by Desaray Akins. Katelyn Elliot then hit into a fielder's choice at third where Sarah Robinson got the force out at third. Kate Dickman then moved both runners into scoring position on a ground out to second and Jackie Sweet drilled a single up the middle to score Holm, but Elliot was retired on a perfect throw from centerfielder Majam to UH's catcher Kayla Wartner.
 
In the seventh, the 'Bows put the game away by scoring three runs on two outs. Utah was able to get the first two batters retired on a ground out and a swinging strike out. But Alex Aguirre then hit her third home run of the season over the leftfield fence. It was her second the last three games and 22nd of her career. Pagaduan then drew a walk and pinch hitter Jocelyn Enrique came through with her first home run of her career—a two run bomb launched over the centerfield fence that gave UH a 7-3 cushion heading into the bottom of the seventh. Ricketts was able to get the first two batters to pop up to first and short and then ended the game with her fifth strike out of the game.
 
The Rainbow Wahine out-hit Utah, 8-to-6, with 4-out-of-6 hits being of the extra base variety. Pagaduan reached safely four times in the game. She was the only Rainbow Wahine to have multiple hits, going 2-for-2 with a career-high three runs scored with a double and two walks.

For Hawai'i it was their second win over a PAC-12 team this season and seventh straight over Utah. UH now is 18-11 all-time against the Utes. 
 
Hawai'i continues it's eight-game roadtrip with a single game at Utah Valley on Wednesday at 5:00 pm in Orem, Utah. The 'Bows conclude their trip with a three-game series at BYU beginning on Friday, April 6.