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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The No. 20/23 University of Hawai`i softball team (25-7, 3-0 Big West) swept its first conference series of the season with a 9-3 win over Cal State Northridge (14-21, 0-3 BWC). Kaia Parnaby earned her third win of the series with a complete game effort while the offense wracked up 11 hits—including six of the extra base variety.
 
Parnaby gave up three runs while scattering nine hits with no walks and one strike out.  The win raised her record to 23-3 on the season and 3-0 in the Big West. During this weekend, Parnaby set a new career-high with 184.2 innings pitched.
 
Hawai`i loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning on a walk and two failed fielder's choice attempts. A walk to Jessica Iwata forced in Majam for the 1-0 lead. But then CSUN escaped with a grounder to the second baseman who fired home to get the first out. Then the Matadors turned a 5-2-3 double play to thwart the Rainbow rally.
 
Hawai`i had a chance to score in the top of the third. Iwata hit a fly to left with a runner at third. But the runner's tag was appealed and was called out for leaving early.
 
The 'Bows erupted for six runs in the top of the fourth. Leisha Li`ili`i led the inning off with a walk and Kiani Wong pinch ran for Li`ili`i at first. Jazmine Zamora then knocked a single to right to put runners at first and second. Kaile Nakao then executed a sacrifice bunt to push both runners into scoring position. Tara Anguiano followed with a base hit to left to score Wong from third. With runners at first and third, Brynne Buchanan then hit a low line drive to short. At first, it looked like the shortstop caught it off her shoelaces and doubled off the runner at first. But the umpires conferred and it was ruled as just a 6-to-3 put out which left runners at second and third. The “rally on two” then began with Majam drilling a double to the left-centerfield gap to score both Anguiano and Zamora. Kayla Wartner then kept things going with an RBI single through the rightside of the infield that scored Majam from second. Keiki Carlos then came through with a triple over the centerfielder's head that scored Wartner and Iwata drilled a double to the right-center gap that scored Carlos to cap UH's scoring at six runs to lead Cal State Northridge 7-0 after four-and-a-half innings.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, CSUN scored one run on two outs. Korinne Randazzo reached on a base hit up the middle and advanced to second on a called illegal pitch. She went to third on a swinging strike three wild pitch to Madalyne Handy and Randazzo scored on the throw to first, making the score 7-1 in favor of UH. Also in the bottom of the fourth UH head coach Bob Coolen was tossed from the game after trying to get an explanation of several illegal pitches that were called to that point.
 
Hawai`i responded by scoring two runs to make the score 9-1 in the top of the sixth on a two-out rally. Li`ili`i launched her third home run in as many games, this time high over the rightfield fence. Zamora followed by ripping a triple to the left-centerfield gap past a diving leftfielder. Zamora then crossed the plate on an illegal pitch to give UH the 9-1 lead.
 
The Matadors added another run in the sixth. Maylynn Mitchell hit a double to left center and was followed by Tiffini Lucero who looped a single into center and a fielding error allowed Mitchell to score CSUN's second run.
 
Cal State Northridge added a third run in the seventh after Mia Pagano doubled to start the inning and then scored on a throwing error on the pitcher.
 
CSUN went through four pitchers in the game. Pagano took the loss, dropping her record to 7-8. She gave up six runs on five hits with four walks in 3.2 innings. Alexa Limon made a brief appearance, but gave up a run on two hits without recording an out. Shelly Tait tossed a pair of innings, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and two strike outs and Brianna Elder closed the game, throwing the final 1.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits with a walk.
 
Hawai`i returns home to host two straight series against UC Davis (Mar. 29-30) and UC Riverside (April 5-6).