HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (15-10, 0-0 Big West) fell to UConn, 2-0 in their opening game of the Hawaii Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic on Tuesday night. The game was a pitcher's duel between UH's Dana Thomsen and UConn's Katie Koshes but the Huskies scored single runs in the first and seventh innings to pick up the win at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Thomsen threw six-plus innings, allowing two runs on just three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. She took a one-hitter into the seventh, but then gave up two straight hits and a run. Kanani Aina Cabrales came in relief of Thomsen in the seventh inning after the Huskies had scored their run. Aina Cabrales retired all three batters that she faced with a strikeout in one inning of work.
 
The Huskies posted one run in the top of the first inning on a line drive sacrifice fly hit to centerfield by Chloe Kerns to drive in Kelli Bates for the early 1-0 lead.
 
UConn added another run in the top of the seventh to take a 2-0 lead on an RBI single by Kiwi McDaniel that drove in Carli Cutler who led the inning off with a double to left.
 
Hawai'i had its best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth when Danielle Garcielita started the frame by reaching safely on a throwing error by the catcher off a bunt. Sarah Muzik followed with a bunt single also to the catcher. Nicole Lopez then executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to push both runners into scoring position. But UConn starter Koshes got a foul-flyout to first and a flyout to right to thwart the Rainbow Wahine rally.
 
Koshes earned her second win of the day after picking up the Huskies win in the first game of the day against Harvard in relief. She spaced two hits and walked none with 11 strikeouts for the "W."
 
The Rainbow Wahine will continue play in the tournament when they take on Harvard at 6:00 pm on Wednesday night.