Game Notes

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (13-14, 0-0 Big West) hits the road for its second roadtrip of the season. The Rainbow Wahine will play two games on Wednesday, March 26 against UMKC (Missouri-Kansas City) (10-20, 0-0 Western Athletic) and  Loyola Marymount (17-13, 0-0 West Coast) in Los Angeles before heading to UC Riverside to open Big West Conference play against the Highlanders (19-14, 0-0 Big West)  in a three-game series which begins with a single game on Friday, March 28 and concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday March 29.
 
The Rainbow Wahine fell below .500 for the first time this season after going 2-4 in their last non-conference tournament, the Pepsi Rainbow Wahine Classic a week ago. But Hawai'i has faced a tough pre-season schedule which featured teams that have been ranked No. 1, 2, 3 in both polls—UCLA, Oregon, and Florida.
 
At the plate, Keiki Carlos leads UH with a .381 batting average with a team-high 32 hits in 84 at bats. She also leads the squad with 20 runs scored and seven doubles and is second on the team with 18 RBI. Leisha Li'ili'i is hitting a solid .356 (26-for-73) with a team-high eight home runs, 19 RBI and 16 walks while Ulu Matagiese has worked her way into the lineup in the outfield hitting .297 overall (11-for-37) with eight RBI.
 
In the pitching circle, Loie Kesterson has emerged as the go-to starter. She is 7-5 in 17 appearances with one shut out. She has a 4.63 ERA in 78.2 innings pitched with 36 strike outs. Heather Morales is looking to regain her early season swagger. She has a 6-6 record and a 5.66 ERA entering conference play in 68.0 innings with three shut outs. Carlos has also seen her time on the mound increase, she is 0-3 but working hard to improve.
 
Series history:
-Hawai'i holds a 33-5 advantage over Loyola Marymount and have won the last seven games. Their last meeting against each other was on March 12, 2010 when UH defeated the Lions, 9-0 in five innings.
-The 'Bows are 2-0 against the 'Roos all-time. UMKC came to Hawai'i to open the 2012 season in the Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic. Hawai'I defeated UMKC 5-1 in the tourney, then held them off, 1-0 in a non-tournament game on Feb. 13, 2012.
-The Rainbow Wahine are 14-2 against UC Riverside and have won the last five straight. Last season, in Honolulu, UH defeated the Highlanders, 16-0 (5), 12-2 (5) and 8-1 in the three-game Big West series. The last time UH played at Riverside was in 2011 when Hawai'I was still in the Western Athletic Conference. UH won both games, 2-0 and 9-1 (6) on Feb. 22, 2011.


Games 28-29
Who: Hawai'i (13-14, 0-0 Big West) vs.  Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) (10-20, 0-0 WAC); Hawai'i vs.Loyola Marymount (17-13. 0-0 West Coast)
When: Wednesday, March 20, 2014
Time: Doubleheaders starts against UMKC at 12:00 pm
Where: Smith Field (500) - Loyola Marymount
Live stats: Live in-game stats will be available at LMULions.com

Games 30-32
Who: Hawai'i at UC Riverside
When: Friday, March 28 at 3:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 29 at 12:00 pm (DH)
Where: Amy S. Harrison Field (600) - UC Riverside
Live stats: Live in-game stats will be available at goHighlanders.com