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Box Score 2 NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (29-22, 10-8 Big West) split Saturday's doubleheader at CSUN to capture their fourth conference series of the season. The league-leading Matadors shut out the Rainbow Wahine in the first game, 2-0, but the 'Bows bounced right back to hold off CSUN 2-1 in the series finale. CSUN fell to 40-13 overall and 15-3 with the loss at Matador Diamond. It was the first series loss for CSUN this season.
CSUN 2, Hawai'i 0Box Score (html) In a pitcher's duel of a game, CSUN's Zoe Conley (19-4) shut out the Rainbow Wahine to capture at least a share of the Big West regular season title. Conley fired a complete game, allowing just three hits with two walks and five strike outs. She retired 16 of the last 17 batters she faced--including the last nine straight.
Hawai'i's
Kanani Aina Cabrales (12-15, 3-6 BWC) also fired a complete game in the loss. It was her 14th complete game in 36 appearances. Aina Cabrales allowed two runs on eight hits with no walks and three strike outs.
CSUN struck early, getting an inside the park home run in the first inning off the bat of Savannah Horvath to give the Matadors a 1-0 lead. In the fifth inning, CSUN posted another run to take a 2-0 lead on a Taylor Glover RBI single to left-centerfield that drove in Carissa Sherman.
Hawai'i 2, CSUN 1Box Score (html) The University of Hawai'i softball team captured the series against league-leader CSUN with a 2-1 win in the series finale. The Rainbow Wahine's two runs came on a two-run home run by freshman
Rachel Lack in the fourth inning. That was all that redshirt freshman
Brittany Hitchcock needed as she earned a complete game win to improve to 16-7 overall and 7-2 in conference. In the second close game of the day, Hitchcock gave up one run while scattering 12 hits with two walks and a strike out.
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning. Pinch-hitter
Kristina Akiona led the inning off by reaching on a fielding error on the third baseman. After a bunt pop-out, Lack launched her eighth home run of the season over the leftfield fence to give UH an early 2-0 lead. Lack leads UH in conference with four home runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, CSUN answered right back by loading the bases with no outs on two singles and a beaned batter. Jordan Sauceda then drove a single through the leftside of the infield which scored Tara Kliebenstein from third, but on the play, both Kaitlin Toerner and Maylynn Mitchell were called out at second. UH's defense then thwarted the Matador rally by getting the final out on a fly out to left to preserve the 'Bows' lead, 2-1.
CSUN starter Brianna Elder suffered the loss, dropping her record to 17-5 overall after giving up both runs with three walks and two strike outs in 3-1/3 innings of work. She gave up just one hit--Lack's home run--in the game. Zoe Conley shut down UH in the final 3-2/3 innings of the game. She did not allow a run and gave up just two hits with a walk and two strike outs in her second appearance of the day.
The Matadors out-hit Hawai'i 12-to-3 in the game and left 11 runners on base.
Hawai'i will now return home for its final series of the year against UC Davis. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday, May 8 starting at 6:00 p.m. with a single game on Saturday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m. Saturday will be Senior Day for three Rainbow Wahine—
Jordan Burton,
Leisha Li'ili'i, and
Kayla Wartner.
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