HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (27-19, 6-9 Big West ) split Saturday's Military Appreciation Day doubleheader to win the series, 2-1 over UC Santa Barbara. Hawai'i won the first game over the Gauchos, 8-4 with Brittany Hitchcock earning the complete game win. But UCSB came back to with rallies in the fifth and seventh innings to prevent a series sweep, winning the finale, 3-2 at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Saturday was the Hawai'i softball team's annual Military Appreciation Day. The U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band played selections during the pre-game and also played the National Anthem and Hawai'i Pono'i with a full Color Guard on the field. Lieutenant Colonel Kate M. H. Conkey threw out the ceremonial first pitch to UH catcher Callee Heen.


Hawai'i 8, UC Santa Barbara 4
Box Score (html)

Brittany Hitchcock earned her second win of the series with a complete game effort to improve to 18-9 overall and 6-3 in conference. Hitchcock gave up four runs on nine hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. It marked her 24^th complete game of the season.
 
The Rainbow Wahine started the game with a bang posting three early runs in the first inning. Chardonnay Pantastico started the rally with a single to rightfield with one out. She moved to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a Heather Morales opposite-field double off the bottom of the rightfield fence. Callee Heen continued her hot hitting by launching her third two-run home run of the series high over the rightfield fence. It marked her ninth home run of the season.
 
The 'Bows extended their lead to 6-0 after scoring three runs in the bottom of the third. Sarah Muzik and Pantastico led off the frame with back-to-back singles. Nicole Lopez then put down a sacrifice bunt to push both runners into scoring position. On the play, the throw from the pitcher sailed past the first baseman allowing Muzik to score from third. Heather Morales then hit a grounder to short and reached first safely on a fielder's choice which allowed Pantastico to score. Heen was then intentionally walked to load the bases for Angelique Ramos who drove an RBI single to left to score Lopez for the third run of the inning.
 
The Gauchos got one run back in the top of the fourth. UCSB loaded the bases with one out and Melanie Menor came through with an RBI single to left to drive in Jacqueline Hinojosa. Hitchcock then settled down to strike out the next two pinch-hitter.
 
Hawai'i got the run right back in the bottom of the fourth. Pantastico got on with a one-out single to tie her career-high going 3-for-3 at the plate.  Lopez then ripped a double down the leftfield line to drive in a sprinting Pantastico all the way from first to give UH a 7-1 lead after four innings.
 
The 'Bows added another run in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout by Muzik that drove in Heather Cameron who had reached on an error to start the inning to give UH an 8-1 lead.
 
UCSB rallied to score three runs on four hits in the top of the seventh to cut their deficit to 8-4.
 
Ashley Wright lasted just two-thirds of an inning in the loss, she gave up three runs on three hits with a strikeout. Lena Mayer threw the final 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on five hits with three walks and a strikeout.
 
UC Santa Barbara 3, Hawai'i 2
Box Score (html)

Hawai'i got on the scoreboard first, posting one run in the bottom of the second inning. Ramos started things with a one-out double to the right-centerfield gap. Later with two outs, Cameron drove in Ramos with a single to center. On the play, Ramos slid and avoided the tag to give UH a 1-0 lead.
 
The 'Bows added another run in the fourth to go up 2-0. UH's Morales led off with a double to right and then UH loaded the bases as Heen was walked and Ramos was plunked. Ulu Matagiese then came through with a single up the middle to drive in pinch runner Courtney Hiruko.
 
The Gauchos though tied the game with one swing of the bat in the top of the fifth as Samantha Lujan hit a two run home to straightaway centerfield to knot the score at 2-2.
 
 UCSB then took the lead in the top of the seventh to go up 3-2. The Gauchos start the inning with a double and a single which left runners at the corners with no outs. Hawai'i starter Dana Thomsen was then lifted and Hitchcock entered the game. She got a pop out to second but then plunked Stacy Cavazos to load the bases. Kristen Clark then hit a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Menor for the winning run.
 
Thomsen suffered the loss which dropped her record to 7-7 overall and 0-4 in the Big West. She threw six-plus innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Hitchcock got the final three outs in the seventh facing four batters.
 
Veronika Gulvin started the game in the pitching circle for the Gauchos allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout in three innings of work. Lena Mayer earned the win to improve to 2-1, throwing four shutout innings, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.
 
Hawai'i will now travel to Cal Poly for their next three-game conference series. The two teams will square off in a single game on Friday, May 6 with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 7.