Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team split Saturday's doubleheader against UC Santa Barbara, dropping the first game 9-5 but bouncing back to win the series finale, 4-1. Hawai'i improves to 21-27 overall and 5-10 in the Big West, while the Gauchos fall to 24-26, 7-8 in conference. UCSB won the series winning two of the three game this past weekend at Campus Diamond in Santa Barbara, Calif.
 
 
UC Santa Barbara 9, Hawai'i 5
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The Gauchos got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second on Sierra Altmeyer's leadoff home run to leftfield.
 
Hawai'i tied the game in the top of the second. UH loaded the bases on three singles by Jennifer Iseri, Tayana Mata and Nicole Lopez. Iseri later scored on a wild pitch to knot the score at 1-1.
 
UH took a 4-1 lead after a productive fourth inning on offense. Breanna Ojala led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run that sailed over the leftfield fence to break the tie and give the 'Bows at 2-1 lead. It marked Ojala's second home run of the season. Rachael Turner followed by drawing a walk and Ulu Matagiese was plunked to put runners at first and second. UCSB then changed pitchers, bringing in Ashley Wright for Ashley Ludlow. But Iseri was thrown four straight balls for another walk to load the bases. After a fielder's choice erased Turner on a force play at the plate, Tayana Mata came through with a two-RBI single ripped down the third base line to drive in both Iseri and Matagiese. 
 
UC Santa Barbara, however, rallied to score four runs of their own to leap-frog themselves back into the lead. The Gauchos started the frame with a single, a UH error, and another single to load the bases. Stacey Cavasos then hit a single up the middle to drive in both Jessica Tetzlaff and Altmeyer. Iseri, UH's starting pitcher, was then lifted and Kanani Aina Cabrales entered the pitching circle. UCSB though kept things going with a sacrifice bunt moving two runners into scoring position. Both runners scored on the following at-bat when Melanie Menor got a single up the middle to drive in Cavasos and Jacqueline Hinojosa for the 5-4 lead.
 
In the fifth inning, the Gauchos extended their lead to 9-4. After the leadoff hitter got out on a foul pop-out to the catcher, UCSB loaded the bases on a walk, an error on a sac bunt, and a single to centerfield. UH got the second out on a fielder's choice hit to short who got the lead runner out on the force at home. But Menor followed with an RBI infield single to short to drive in Hinojosa. Arianna Palomares then reached on an error on the leftfielder which allowed two runs to score. Emily Brucelas capped the scoring on an RBI single to center to drive in Menor. All four runs were scored on two outs and all were unearned.
 
Aina Cabrales led the top of the sixth off with a double to the left-centerfield gap. Sarah Muzik then reached on an infield hit to second to put runners at the corners. Aina Cabrales scored on a wild pitch to cut UH's deficit to 9-5.
 
Iseri took the loss, dropping her record to 3-4 overall. She gave up five runs on seven hits with a walk and a strikeout. Aina Cabrales threw the final three innings, giving up four unearned runs on six hits with four walks.
 
UCSB reliever Wright earned the win, tossing the final 4.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits with a walk and a strike out. Gauchos' starter Ludlow threw the first 3.0+ innings, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
 

Hawai'i 4, UC Santa Barbara 1
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UH's Brittany Hitchcock earned the win to improve her record to 10-14 overall. She held the Gauchos scoreless until the sixth inning, when UCSB posted one run. Hitchcock gave up the one run on six scattered hits with no walks and four strike outs. 
 
The Rainbow Wahine broke on the scoreboard first in the top of the third, taking a 2-0 lead. Turner started things with a one-out single to center. Rachel Lack then launched her team-leading sixth home run of the season over the leftfield fence. It marked Lack's 14^th home run of her two-year career.
 
In the top of the fifth, UH got their first two batters aboard on a walk and a single. After a flyout to left, Lack struck again, driving in Ojala from second with a single to centerfield to give the 'Bows a 3-0 lead.
 
UCSB got one run back in the bottom of the sixth. After getting a line-out back to the pitcher to start the frame, the Gauchos got two runners on off a single and an error. UH got the second out of the inning on a fielder's choice to third to get the lead runner, but then Altmeyer followed with a single to center to drive in S Stark. But on the play, the 'Bows defense cut down the secondary runner trying to advance to third from first. UH took a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning.
 
The Gauchos Veronika Gulvin suffered the loss, throwing the first 4.1 innings. She gave up three runs on four hits with a walk and a strikeout. Ludlow came in relief and tossed the final 2.2 innings. She gave up one run on three hits with no walks and one strike out.
 
The win snaps UH's six-game losing streak—its longest since dropping eight consecutive games in the 2014 season.
 
The Rainbow Wahine return home this week to host their final homestand of the season against Cal Poly. Friday's game will start at 6:00 p.m., Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 2:00 p.m. Saturday is also Senior Day for five Hawai'i players—Keiki Carlos, Tayana Mata, Sarah McAndrew, Dori Ann Sugai and Kiani Wong.