HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (2-1) fell to Oregon State, 2-0, in a pitcher's duel between UH's Brittany Hitchcock and OSU's Nerissa Eason. The game capped off Day Two of the Paradise Classic at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on Thursday night.
 
Hawai'i's Brittany Hitchcock suffered the loss in a complete game effort. She kept the Beavers off-balance with her arsenal of pitches. Hitchcock gave up just two runs on four hits with a walk and eight strike outs. She faced just 24 batters--three over the minimun--in the game and OSU stranded just one runner on the night.
 
Oregon State's Neressa Eason fired a two-hit shutout over the 'Bows with three walks and four strike outs. She took a no-hitter through four innings before Danielle Garcielita broke it up hitting an opposite-field grounder in the hole at short and legging out the hit. UH's only other hit came with two outs in the seventh with Bree Soma collecting her first collegiate hit in her first at-bat as a 'Bow. She drove it through the right side of the infield.
 
Hawai'i had their opportunities on offense leaving seven runners left on base. UH had their best chance in the first inning as the 'Bows loaded the bases with one out. Danielle Garcielita led off by drawing a walk but she was erased at second on a fielder's choice hit by Sarah Muzik. Nicole Lopez and Heather Morales both earned walks to load the bases, but the Beavers escaped with a fielder's choice play from short to the catcher and a strikeout to thwart the rally.
 
Oregon State got on the scoreboard to post the only runs of the game on one swing by Kayleen Shafer who hit a two-run home run in the top of the second. That would be all that Eason would need for the win.
 
The UH defense turned in some fine defensive plays with Muzik making a diving catch on a low-liner  in the second inning and the infield turning a sweet groundout double play in the top of the fourth from Lopez-to-Muzik-to-Morales. In the sixth, leftfielder Jordian Hicks also made a good play in left as she fielded a looping single near the third base line and fired to Muzik at second. The Oregon State runner was trying to extend her hit into a double but stopped a little over halfway when she saw the throw coming in. Muzik chased her back and tossed to Morales as she easily made the tag.

Even though UH lost, it was a marked improvement from last year, when Oregon State run-ruled the 'Bows 11-1 in five innings at UNLV's DeMarini Desert Classic.

The Paradise Classic concludes on Saturday with Hawai'i playing the final two games at 3:00 against Boise State and 5:00 pm against UAB (weather permitting).