LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (5-2) got off to a rough 0-2 start the season, but have since reeled off five-straight wins outscoring their opponents, 37-to-4. The Rainbow Wahine will remain on the mainland, traveling to Los Angeles, Calif. to play in the LMU Tournament where they will play five games in three days. The 'Bows will take on host Loyola Marymount and Weber State. The Rainbow Wahine are off to its best start at 5-2 since the 20013 season--UH's return to the Big West.

Lopez Leading the Way
Junior third baseman, Nicole Lopez got out of the gates on a roll, as the only Rainbow Wahine to hit safely in all seven games thus far. Lopez ended last season hitting safely in the final two games of the season, so she currently is on a nine-game hitting streak. She is leading Hawai'i with eight runs scored, 11 hits, three doubles and an .870 slugging percentage. At the hot corner, she also has had six putouts and 16 assists with no errors for a 1.000 fielding percentage. Overall she is second on the team with a .478 batting average (11-for-23). Lopez has already recorded career-game highs with four runs scored, four hits, and four RBI all against Idaho State. She also launched a career-high two home runs against New Mexico to help lift UH to a 5-1 win over the Lobos.

Heen Powers UH Past UNLV
Sophomore catcher/designated player Callee Heen is one of five Rainbow Wahine to be currently hitting over .300. She leads UH with three home runs and has 12 of UH's 38 RBI thus far. Twice already she has recorded three hits in a game and she has scored a career-high three runs against Idaho State. In UH's final game in the Marucci Desert Classic, Heen went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs for a career-best six RBI.

Hitchcock and Thomsen combine for 5-2 record
After falling to BYU in a rough season opener, Hawai'i's two starting pitchers have settled down with Brittany Hitchcock going 3-1 and Dana Thomsen posting a 2-1 record. In her last three starts, Hitchcock, a senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., has been dominant in earning her last three wins. Overall, she comes into this week with a 3.00 ERA in 21.0 innings pitched with five walks and 21 strikeouts. She has held opponents to a .244 batting average and has tossed a pair of complete games.

Thomsen enters the second week of the season with a 2-1 record. In four appearances, she has fired three complete games and thrown 23.0 innings with a 2.43 ERA overall. She also has five walks with 22 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .310 batting average.

Iseri leading 'Bows on offense
Junior outfielder Jennifer Iseri has started in five of UH's first seven games and currently leads UH with a .583 batting average. Against Idaho State and at UNLV, Iseri recorded a career-high three hits in those games. She recorded her first double at UNLV and her first RBI's with one against both Idaho State and Boise State.

Rossi and Turner Both Hitting .400
Both rookie Britnee Rossi and senior Rachael Turner finished the first week hitting an even .400. Rossi, who got the start in the last four games. Against Idaho State, she drew three walks, scored three runs and hit an inside the park home run to help UH defeat the Bengals. In UH's most recent game at UNLV, Rossi hit 3-for-4 with an RBI, a double and two runs scored.

Turner has started six of UH's seven games at first base. After getting off to a slow start, the Las Vegas native went on a four game hitting streak. She had a pair of two-hit games against Idaho State and Boise State. Against Idaho State she recorded a career-high three RBI, and against Boise State she was clutch, driving in two of UH's three runs against the Broncos--including an important insurance run after Boise State cut their deficit in half at 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning. She came through with an RBI single to drive in Alyssa Sojka with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to help lift UH to the win.

LMU TOURNAMENT
Teams: Hawai'i (5-2, 0-0 Big West), Loyola Marymount (4-5, 0-0 WCC), Weber State (3-7, 0-0 Big Sky)
Game Schedule:
    Thurs., Feb. 22 10:00 am HT Hawai'i vs. LMU
        12:00 pm HT Hawai'i vs. LMU
    Fri., Feb. 23 8:00 am HT Hawai'i vs. Weber State
        10:30 am HT Hawai'i vs. Weber State
    Sat., Feb. 24 7:00 am HT Hawai'i vs. Weber State
Livestats: Live in-game stats will be available for some of the tourney games. Check the HawaiiAthletics.com softball schedule for games that will be available.
Series Records: Hawai'i holds a 34-5 advantage against Loyola Marymount. The 'Bows have won their last eight games. The last meeting was on March 26 as UH held off the Lions, 4-3 in Los Angeles, Calif. Hawai'i is 2-0 all-time against Weber State. UH took on the Wildcats in the 2011 Bank of Hawaii Invitational in 2011. The 'Bows faced Weber State twice in that tournament with wins of 6-0 and 5-1.