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HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i softball team (8-7, 0-0 Big West) was swept by North Carolina on the third day of the Bank of Hawaii Invitational. The Tar Heels blanked the 'Bows in the final pool play game of the tourney, 9-0 in five innings. The two teams squared off again in the nightcap, with North Carolina being the top seed and Hawai`i being the fourth seed. UH took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, but UNC charged back to win the game 9-3.

North Carolina 9, Hawai`i 0 (5 innings)
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The Rainbow Wahine were shut out by the Tar Heels for the first time this season, falling 9-0 in five innings. North Carolina posted four runs before UH could record the first out of the game in the first inning. UNC went on to score five runs in the opening frame. For the game, North Carolina hit three home runs, two by Amber Parrish and one by Kristen Brown.
 
UH was held to just one hit in the game which was by Lindsey Willmon in the third inning.
 
Heather Morales (5-4) took the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits in one-and-a-third inning of work. Keiki Carlos threw three-and-two-thirds innings to close the game. She gave up one walk and one strike out.
 
North Carolina's Lori Spignola earned the win raising her record to 3-4. She gave up just one hit in five innings with a walk and 11 strike outs.


North Carolina 9, Hawai`i 3
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Hawai`i jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, posting three runs in the top of the first. Lindsey Willmon led the game off with a sharp to centerfield. A ground out to second pushed Willmon to second. After a strike out, Leisha Li`ili`i drilled a single through the rightside of the infield to drive in Willmon from second. Alyssa Villalpando and Jazmine Zamora followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Sharla Kliebenstein was then plunked on the leg to force Li`ili`i across the plate. North Carolina then lifted starter Lauren Batten for Ashley Bone who gave up a single up the middle by Ulu Matagiese to score Villalpando. But on the play, Zamora was cut down at the plate on a good throw from the centerfielder.
 
North Carolina got one run back in the bottom of the first. Speedy Aquilla Mateen led the home half of the first inning with a single to short. Mateen moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a pop-out to second, Amber Parris singled through the leftside of the infield past two diving infielders to drive in Mateen who raced around the bases to score. Score was 3-1 after one inning.
 
In the bottom of the second UNC's Erin Satterfield hit a single up the middle with one out. But the next play was a high-hopper chopped back to Carlos who made a leaping back-handed grab to start a 163 ground out double play to end the inning.
 
The Tar Heels then added another run in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Lynch and Brown. But UH's Matagiese then caught a fly ball in right for the second out and gunned out UNC's runner trying to advance to third on a wicked throw for the inning ending double play.
 
North Carolina then leap-frogged UH in the bottom of the fifth, posting three runs to take the lead, 5-3. Mateen struck again with an RBI single to drive in Satterfield from third. Later, Parrish hit a single left, but on the play, the ball was kicked into the left field corner which allowed both Mateen and Kelly to score.
 
UNC then pulled away in the sixth adding another four runs to give them a 9-3 lead on a two run home run, an RBI double and a bases loaded walk.
 
Carlos suffered the loss in her first start of the season. She gave up nine runs on 13 hits with five walks in her longest appearance of her UH career. On the day, Carlos threw a total of 10.2 innings in two games.   
 
North Carolina's Batten lasted just two outs in the first inning, allowing all three of UH's runs on four hits with a strike out. Bone came in to earn her first win of the season, blanking the 'Bows for the next six-and-a-third innings. She gave up just three hits with a pair of strike outs
 
The Tar Heels will face San Jose State in the tourney championship at 10:00 am, followed by Hawai`i vs. St. Mary's at 12:00 p.m.