Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HENDERSON, Nev.—The University of Hawai'i softball team opened the 2019 Boyd Gaming Rebels Classic with a doubleheader sweep, defeating Fordham, 16-12 and UTEP 12-2 in five innings. Hawai'i opened the tourney launching a school record eight home runs on Friday at the Stephanie Lynn Craig Softball Complex in Henderson, Nev.  The Rainbow Wahine's 6-1 start is its best since the 2012 season when UH started off with a 21-0 record.
 
Hawai'i 16, Fordham 12
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Hawai'i outlasted Fordham, 16-12 in a slugfest of a game, which was highlighted by a school-record eight home runs hit by the Rainbow Wahine. The previous high had been seven hit against San Jose State in the same UNLV tournament on Feb. 15, 2013 at the SLC fields. It was the most runs scored by the 'Bows since defeating Idaho State 18-0 last season during the UNLV-hosted tourney. Combined, the two teams hit 10 total home runs in the game and 16 extra base-hits all-together.
 
Hawai'i batted around the order to start the game. Three of the first four UH batters all smashed solo home runs. Brittnee Rossi and Nicole Lopez began the barrage, launched back-to-back home runs to start the game. It was both Rossi and Lopez's first home runs of the year. For Rossi, it marked her fifth of her career and for Lopez, it was her 26th of her career. After a line out to left, Callee Heen powered her third home run of the season. After a strikeout, UH proceeded to load the bases  with Madison Veldman belting a double, Sissy Pantastico drawing a walk and Bree Soma beating out an infield single back to the pitcher. Tatumn Satow then hit to the rightside into a fielder's choice that allowed Veldman to score. Rossi continued the frame driving a double to the right-centerfield gap to score both Soma and Pantastico to cap the scoring in the first. UH lead 6-0.
 
In the bottom of the first Fordham answered back, getting three-straight hits to start the home half of the first. Madie Auginbaugh hit a fielder's choice to short to allow the Rams run to score.
 
Things looked good as the second inning started with Cheeks Ramos getting on with a single and Heen reaching on a walk. Both moved into scoring position. But a strikeout and two groundouts snuffed out the UH rally.
 
In the bottom of the second, Fordham got two runs back to cut their deficit to 6-3. Jordy Storm drove in a pair of runs on a double to left. In the third, the Rams got another run back on an RBI-double by Ranieri.
 
In the fourth, Hawai'i's Callee Heen tied her career-high blasting her second home run of the game, pulling it over the right-centerfield fence to give the 'Bows an 8-4 lead. It is the third time in the junior's career that she's hit two home runs in one game—the last time coming at UNLV a year ago on 2/19/18. Heen now has four homers already this season and 27 in her career. The homer gave UH an 8-4 lead.
 
But Fordham rallied to score five runs in the bottom of the fourth on a groundout to short, a 2-RBI single and a two-run home run that pushed the Rams to a 9-8 lead over UH. Unable to get the third out, UH lifted starting pitcher Brittany Hitchcock for reliever Emily Klee.
 
Sissy Pantastico tied the game up at 9-9 as she led off the fifth inning with her first home run of the season. It marked her fourth home run of her career and first since her freshman year.
 
Fordham see-sawed out in front again in the bottom of the fifth, getting a two-run homer by Roark to give the Rams an 11-9 lead.
 
Hawai'i countered by posting four runs in the top of the sixth. Ramos led off with a solo shot over the centerfield fence. Later Veldman hit a two-run bomb—her first of her career—to propel UH back into the lead at 12-11. Fordham then went to its third pitcher of the game, as Ranieri moved from first base to pitch. Pantastico, who had reached earlier on a single, stole second and then scored on an RBI-double to right by Soma to give UH a 13-11 lead.
 
Fordham responded as Storm got an RBI-single up the middle to drive in Ranieri to cut UH's lead to one run, 13-12.
 
In the top of the seventh UH rallied to score three runs. The 'Bows loaded the bases with one out. Lopez and Ramos started the inning with back-to-back singles. Heen flied out to short but then pinch-hitter Alyssa Sojka drew a walk to load the bases. Veldman reached on an unsuccessful fielder's choice at second that drove in Lopez. With the bases still loaded, Pantastico was then plunked to score Ramos. Soma then hit into a fielder's choice that erased Pantastico at second but scored Sojka from third.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Klee and the defense had a clean inning for the first time in the game, getting a lineout to leftfield, a swinging strikeout and a ground out to third to end the game.
 
Klee earned her second relief win in as many games. She fired the last 3.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Hitchcock got the start and threw the first 3.2 innings giving up nine runs on 12 hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
 
The Rams went through three pitchers. Anne Marie Prentiss got the start but was only able to record two outs, giving up six runs on six hits with a walk and a strikeout. Madie Aughinbaugh tossed 4.2 innings, allowing seven runs on nien hits with a walk and five strikeouts, while Gianna Ranieri threw the final 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits with a walk.
 
Hawai'i 12, UTEP 2 (5 innings)
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Rookie pitcher Izzy Dino (2-0) earned her second complete game win shortened by the mercy rule. She tossed five complete innings, allowing two runs while spacing seven hits with two walks and a strikeout.
 
UH jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first. The 'Bows loaded the bases on three walks and Alyssa Sojka drove first run in with an RBI-fielder's choice. UH then executed a double-steal with runners at the corners to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Hawai'i extended its lead to 6-0 adding four runs in the top of the second. Rossi hit an RBI-groundout to second to drive in Pantastico. Lopez later laced an RBI-single to short to force Cameron across the plate and later Sojka powered a two-run double to the left-center gap to score both Ramos and Lopez.
 
UTEP got two runs back in the bottom of the second on a two-run home run by Linda Garcia. The Miners trailed 6-2 after two innings of play.
 
Both teams were held off the scoreboard in the third, but in the fourth, Hawai'i erupted for six runs to go up 12-2. UH loaded the bases with no outs. Sojka then drove in Lopez with a single to left and Soma followed with a two-run double to plate both pinch-runner Samantha Thomas and Ramos. Later, Rossi came through with a two-RBI single through the rightside of the infield to drive in both Soma and Sojka to the 10-run lead.
 
For the game, Sojka had a career-game, going 3-for-4 at the plate as the designated player and she drove in a career-high four RBI.
 
UTEP's Julie Wright suffered the loss, dropping her record to 1-2. She allowed six runs on three hits with five walks and a strikeout. Allie Johnson also allowed six runs in two innings of work with two walks and three strikeouts. The Miners' Bryana Munoz closed the game out firing one inning with two walks.
 
Hawai'i will play two games on Saturday to conclude their participation in the Rebels Classic. UH will take on Weber State at 8:00 a.m. HT at Eller Media Stadium followed by SeattleU at 11:30 a.m. at the Stephanie Lynn Craig Softball Complex.