HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (9-2, 0-0 Big West) downed Canisius on the opening night of the Hawai'i Invitational tournament. Hawai'i pitcher Izzy Dino earned the complete game win while Callee Heen went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI on Thursday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Dino gave up one run while spacing five hits with a walk and four strikeouts in seven innings of work. It was the first time this season that she's thrown a full seven-inning game. Previous high was six innings against St. Mary's earlier this year.
 
The Rainbow Wahine got one run on the scoreboard to start the game. With one out, Nicole Lopez reached first on a throwing error by the third baseman. Lopez hustled into second on the overthrow. After a flyout to center, Heen reached on a fielding error on the second baseman that left runners at the corners with two outs. UH then tried a double steal, but as Heen was getting in a rundown, the throw from short sailed over the catcher allowing Lopez to score.
 
In the top of the fourth, Canisius tied the game at 1-1 on a solo home run by Hannah Catalio-Stooks.
 
Hawaii retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Cheeks Ramos led the inning off with a double to the left-centerfield gap. She then scored on an RBI single by Heen to right-centerfield. Later Heather Cameron drove in another run on a double laced to centerfield that went off the centerfielder's glove to score Alyssa Sojka who had worked her way on with a walk earlier in the inning. UH led after four innings, 3-1
 
In the bottom of the fifth UH added another run to take a 4-1 lead. Lopez started things with a double down the leftfield line. She moved to second on a wild pitch and then scored on Heen's second RBI-single of the night.
 
Canisius starting pitcher Emily Nicosia suffered the loss (0-1). She threw five innings allowing four runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout. Alexis Churchill threw the final inning giving up two hits.
 
The Hawai'i Invitational tourney continues on Friday. Hawai'i will play the last two games of the night against DePaul at 5:00 and New Mexico at 7:00 pm.