HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (21-10, 2-1 Big West) split its
Saturday doubleheader against Long Beach State. The Beach won the first game, 5-2 but the Rainbow Wahine knocked of the 49ers in the series finale, 11-3 in a six inning, mercy rule win clinched on a walk-off solo home run by Callee Heen at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. With the win, UH won the three-game conference series, 2-1. It was the first time UH has won a Big West series against the 49ers since 1995.
 
Long Beach State 5, Hawai'i 2
Box Score (HTML)
 
The 49ers got on the scoreboard first, posting a run in the top of the first on an RBI-single by Naomi Hernandez to drive in Nichole Fry from third.
 
The Rainbow Wahine tied the score in the bottom of the first, 1-1. The first two batters both walked. Alyssa Sojka then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both Brittnee Rossi and Nicole Lopez into scoring position. Callee Heen then lifted a sacrifice to drive in Rossi.
 
Long Beach State loaded the bases with one out in the fifth and went on to score three runs to take a 4-1 lead. Maddy Ruffin hit a ground-rule double that bounced over the leftfield fence to drive in two runs. Later, Sydney McCollum hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Wren.
 
The Beach added another run in the top of the seventh on an RBI-single by McCollum to lead, 5-1.
 
Hawai'i tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh, but only were able to score one run on an RBI-single by Rossi that drove in Sissy Pantastico from second with two outs.
 
UH starter Izzy Dino took the loss, dropping her record to 7-5 overall and 0-1 in the Big West. She was responsible for all four runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout in 4.1 innings of work. Reliever Emily Klee threw the final 2.2 innings allowing one run on four hits with a walk and a strikeout.
 
LBSU's Kellie White earned the complete-game win, giving up the two runs while spacing five hits. White improved to 5-7 overall.
 
Hawai'i 11, Long Beach State 3 (6 innings)
Box Score (HTML)
 
Hawai'i's senior pitcher Brittany Hitchcock earned the complete-game win allowing three runs on nine hits with no walks and three strikeouts. It was her 11^th complete game of the season. With the win, Hitchcock improved to 10-5 overall and 2-0 in conference.
 
LBSU took an early 2-0 lead on a two-run home run off the bat of Tierra Falo in the top of the second.
 
Hawai'i however, responded with a vengeance, batting around the order and scoring seven runs in the bottom of the second. Iseri doubled to left-centerfield to drive in Cheeks Ramos from second. Madison Veldman then launched her second home run of the season. The three-run blast sailed over to the leftfield fence. UH kept things going. Pantastico drew a walk before LBSU changed their pitchers. Rossi then drew another walk by reliever Ashley Coleman. Later, with two outs and both runners going on contact, a throwing error by the shortstop off an Alyssa Sojka grounder allowed two runs to score. Ramos then capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI-single to left that drove in Sojka from second to give UH a 7-2 lead.
 
The 'Bows tacked on three more runs to extend their lead to 10-2 in the third. With the bases loaded and one out, Nicole Lopez lifted a sacrifice fly to left field. On the play, Iseri scored easily from third, but a throwing error on the leftfielder allowed Pantastico to also score on the play. Sojjka later drove in Rossi with an RBI single to rightfield.
 
The Beach was able to push one run across in the fifth inning to stave off the mercy rule on an RBI double to left-centerfield by Fry.
 
But, in the bottom of the sixth, Heen blasted a solo shot high over the rightfield fence to end the game with UH winning, 11-3. She tied Lopez for the team lead with her 10^th homer of the season. It also marked her 33^rd career home run which ties her with former UH All-American Tyleen Tausaga (2004-07) for 11^th all-time in the UH record books.
 
Long Beach State used three pitchers in the game. Starter Kellie White suffered the loss, dropping her record to 5-8 overall. She allowed five runs on three hits with two walks in 1.1 innings of work. Reliever Coleman threw the next 1.1 innings, also allowing five runs on four hits with two walks. Closer Samantha Fowler befuddled the 'Bows for a couple of innings, before allowing the Heen homer. She allowed just that one hit while striking out five.
 
The win was UH's sixth mercy-rule win of the season.
 
The Rainbow Wahine head to California for their second roadtrip of the season as the BWC season continues. UH will take on Cal Poly in a three-game, conference series in San Luis Obispo, Calif. starting with a single game on Friday, April 5 at 2:00 pm HT, followed by a doubleheader on April 6 starting at 10:00 a.m. Ht.