HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (21-10, 0-0 Big West) defeated Purdue, 4-1 to win its sixth-straight game while capturing the 2017 Hawai'i Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic title with a 6-1 record in the five-day tournament. Hawai'i's Brittany Hitchcock earned the win to improve to 12-6 overall and was named the tourney's Most Outstanding Pitcher while Nicole Lopez launched her team-leading seventh homer of the season and earned Most Valuable Player honors on  Saturday afternoon at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Hitchcock took a shutout into the seventh inning with two outs before Purdue was able to scratch a run out. She earned her fourth complete-game win of the tournament giving up one run while scattering four hits with seven strikeouts and for the third straight game she did not issue a walk. Hitchcock went 4-0 in the five-team tournament with a 0.50 ERA in 28.0 innings pitches with no walks and 31 strikeouts.

Lopez hit .550 for the tournament, going 11-for-20  at the plate. She lead the team in hits, runs (5), doubles (3, tied with two others) and home runs (2). She had a team-high 1.000 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .571.
 
Hawai'i took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Callee Heen led off with a single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt executed by Angelique Ramos. Heather Cameron then continued her hot hitting as she ripped a single to centerfield to drive in Heen who slid in front of the tag at the plate. Later with runners at first and third Ulu Matagiese got in a run down between first and second which allowed Cameron to score before the third out was recorded.
 
In the fourth, Sarah Muzik started things with a one out triple hit over the leftfielder that rolled to the fence. Nicole Lopez followed by launched her seventh home run of the season over the centerfield fence. The home run was UH's 25^th of the season—tying UH's total number of home runs for all of last year. Hawai'i is 31 games into its 52 game season.
 
Purdue (10-21, 0-0 Big Ten) was able to score its only run of the game with two outs in the seventh inning. Mallory Baker led off with a single and later Brooke Perry drove her in with a double to the left-center gap.
 
Purdue's Maddie Damon took the loss, dropping her record to 5-7. She gave up four runs on nine hits with no walks and two strikeouts in six innings of work.
 
Hawai'i will have this coming week off before beginning play in the Big West Conference. The Rainbow Wahine open at home against UC Davis in a three-game series. There will be a single game on Friday, March 31 at 6:00 pm followed by a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 pm on Saturday, April 1. All three games will be played at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
2017 Hawaii Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic All-tournament Team
Mallory Baker, Purdue
Heather Cameron, Hawai'i
Kaitlyn Schiffhauer, Harvard
Rebecca Freeman, Marist
Carli Cutler, UConn
Maya Hughes, Purdue
Jessica Van Alphen, Marist
Katie Koshes, UConn
Jordian Hicks, Hawai'i
Stephanie Ramsey, Purdue

Most Outstanding Pitcher - Brittany Hitchcock, Hawai'i

Most Valuable Player - Nicole Lopez, Hawai'i