HONOLULU—The University of Hawaii softball team (12-8, 0-0 Big West) held off Charleston Southern, 5-3 to capture UH's fourth-straight win to open the Outrigger Spring Fling Tournament. UH starter Dana Thomsen got the win and Brittany Hitchcock earned her first career save while the 'Bows scored at least one run in each of the first four innings on Wednesday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Thomsen improved to 4-2 overall. She threw the first 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Hitchcock came in and squelched any chance of a rally for the Buccaneers as she retired four of the five batters she faced throwing just 11 pitches.
 
The Rainbow Wahine posted two runs in the bottom of the first. Danielle Garcielita and Sarah Muzik both drew walks to start the frame. Then both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Nicole Lopez followed with a single to drive in two runs for early lead.
 
In the second, Garcielita whacked an opposite-field single down the left-field line with two outs. She stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw by the catcher on her attempt at second. Muzik then drove in Garcielita with a single up the middle to give UH a 3-0 lead.
 
Charleston Southern got one run back in the top of the third on an RBI single by Jade Gandara to center to drive in Stevi Johnson. But on the play, Gandara tried to advance to second on the throw, but was out on an 8-to-1-to-5-to-4 relay for the third out.
 
Hawaii promptly got the run back in the bottom of the third. Morales smacked a double to the right-centerfield gap with one out. Pinch runner Courtney Hiruko went to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a single up the middle by Angelique Ramos that gave the 'Bows a 4-1 lead.
 
The Rainbow Wahine added one more run in the fourth with Lopez driving in Heather Cameron on a sacrifice fly for a 5-1 lead.
 
The Buccaneers rallied to score two runs in the fifth on a two-RBI double by J. Gandara that scored Johnson and Emberson to cut UH's lead to 5-3. But that would be all the runs CSU would score as Hitchcock came in with one out in the sixth and shut the Buccaneeers down.

In the top of the sixth, after a strikeout, Brittany McPherson was hit by a pitch and Thomsen was lifted for Hitchcock in the pitching circle for UH. Destini Ewing then drove a long fly ball to left field. On the play, UH leftfielder Ulu Matagiese made an over-the-shoulder catch right in front of the leftfield fence, turned and fired a strike to cut-off Muzik at second who gunned it to Morales for the double play, forcing out McPherson at first to end the inning.
 
Cheyenne Gandara took the loss for CSU, giving up three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Holly Clark threw the following two innings, allowing two runs on four hits with a strikeout and Arizona Pilgrim finished the game tossing the final two innings. She allowed just one hit.
 
Hawaii out-hit CSU 10-to-5 getting multiple hits from Muzik, Morales, and Ramos who all went 2-for-3. Lopez led UH with three RBI and Garcielita came around to score twice for the 'Bows.
 
The Rainbow Wahine continues play in the Outrigger Spring Fling Tournament on Thursday. They will put their four-game win streak on the line as they face No. 20 Utah at 6:00 p.m.