Game Notes

HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (20-22, 4-5 Big West) returns home to host league-leader Cal State Fullerton (34-10, 9-0 BWC) in a three-game Big West Conference series this weekend. The two teams will open the series with a single game on Friday, April 22 at 6:00 p.m. and then conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 23 beginning at 2:00 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader is also "Power in Pink" day at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium with the team donning special pink jerseys in recognition of breast cancer awareness.
 
The 'Bows are coming off their first conference series win this past week, taking two of three games at UC Riverside. Hawai'i won the first two games, 5-3 (8) and 3-2 but fell in the final game, 2-0 to the Highlanders. Leading the charge was clutch-hitting senior second baseman Tayana Mata who is the reigning Big West Field Player of the Week after she drove in four runs while scoring another and hitting .556 (5-for-9) for  the series.
 
 Also coming through in the clutch for the Rainbow Wahine was fellow senior Keiki Carlos, who hit .364 last week against UCR. She scored five of UH's eight runs in the three game series. The combination of Mata and Carlos proved to be too much for the Highlanders as Mata drove in Carlos three different times in UH's two victories. With the second game of the series tied at 2-2 in the seventh, it was Carlos who launched her second home run of the season to give the 'Bows the lead and the eventual win.
 
In the pitching circle against the Highlanders, Brittany Hitchcock (9-11, 3-3 BWC) fired two complete games going 1-1 for the weekend. In the win, Hitchcock fired all eight innings in a 5-3 win, scattering eight hits and giving up three runs with a walk and four strike outs. Kanani Aina Cabrales also fired a complete game to even her record at 8-8 overall and 1-1 in conference. Aina Cabrales pitched tough in the series' clincher, allowing two runs on seven hits with no walks and a season-high nine strike outs.
 
The Cal State Fullerton Titans come rolling into Honolulu on a nine-game win streak. Last week, CSUF swept the UC Davis Aggies in convincing fashion, winning 6-1, 5-1, and 8-2. The Titans are hitting an impressive .309 as a team and are lead by Missy Taukeiaho who is hitting .389 with a team-high 49 hits, 39 runs scored, 20 doubles, and 30 walks. Alexis Gonzalez is not far behind Taukeiaho, hitting .371 (36-for-97) with a team-high seven home runs and 35 RBI. In all, there are four Titans hitting above .300 and seven are hitting about .275.
 
The Titan pitching staff is comprised of six, but feature primarily two pitchers. Desiree Ybarra is 11-5 with a 1.76 ERA in 115.1 innings pitched. She has held opponents to a .222 batting average whie 49 walks to 105 strike outs. Sydney Golden is 14-3 overall with a 1.78 ERA in 94.1 innings pitched. She has 19 walks and 63 K's thus far.
 
Games 43-45
Who: Hawai'i (20-22, 4-5 Big West) vs. Cal State Fullerton (34-10, 9-0 Big West)
When: Friday, April 22 at 6:00 pm; Saturday, April 23 (Doubleheader) at 2:00 pm
Where: Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium (1,200) – Honolulu, HI
Promotions: California Hotel and Casino is this weekends series sponsor and will provide great prizes for the winners of the popular "Ballpark Bingo." Saturday is also "Power in Pink" day at the ballpark. The team will be wearing special pink Under Armour jerseys in recognition of breast cancer awareness.
Livestats: Live in-game stats will be available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Television: All three games of this week's series will be televised live statewide on OCSports [Digital Ch. 1016 (HD), Ch. 16 (SD)] -or- -or- Hawaiian Telcom Channel 89 (SD) and 1089 (HD) with Scott Robbs handling the play-by-play and Lori Santi as the color analyst
Streaming Video: Live streaming video is available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Series Record: Cal State Fullerton leads the series vs. UH, 49-16. Last season, Hawai'i won the series on the road in California, taking the first game, 5-1 and the series finale, 8-6 (8). The Titans won the middle game, 7-2.