HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (16-6, 0-0 Big West) held off SIUE, 5-3 to start a busy week. Izzy Dino earned the win while Callee Heen hit her eighth home run and Mikaela Gandia-Mak went 2-for-3 with two RBI on Monday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Dino improved to 6-2 on the season firing her fifth complete game. She allowed three runs on eight hits with two walks and a career-high six strikeouts.
 
In the bottom of the first with two outs, Heen blasted her eighth home run over the lower part of the scoreboard in rightfield. The homer drove in Cheeks Ramos who was plunkded before Heen's at-bat. Brittnee Rossi kept things going with a walk and she was driven in by Mikaela Gandia-Mak to give UH a 3-0 lead.
 
In the second, UH loaded the bases with just one out. But the Cougars got out of the jam getting a strikeout and then got Heen to strikeout swinging to snuff out the rally.
 
SIUE got two runs back in the third inning on an RBI-single by Zoe Shafer with two outs.
 
The 'Bows added another run in the bottom of the third. UH put runners at the corners as both Rossi and Heather Cameron drew walks in the frame. Cameron got caught into a run-down between first and second allowing Rossi to score from third, giving UH a 4-2 lead.
 
SIUE countered in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Shafer struck again, driving in Alyssa Heren with a single up the middle.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Gandia-Mak lifted an RBI-double that fell between three SIUE defenders and bounced past a diving leftfielder to score Heen from first.
 
The Cougars tried to rally in the sixth with runners at first and second and just one out. But UH turned an inning-ending double play to squelch the rally. Lopez snared a line drive hit right at her and fired to Heen at first to double-up the runner.
 
Hawai'i continues their busy week with a single game on Tuesday night against Utah at 6:00 p.m. at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. On Wednesday, the 'Bows will begin their final non-conference tourney, the Bank of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine Classic which runs through Saturday at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.