HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (13-4, 0-0 Big West) pulled away from St. Bonaventure, 11-2 in five innings to open the Outrigger Resorts Spring Fling Tournament. Brittany Hitchcock improved to 5-3 with a complete-game win, while Nicole Lopez went 3-for-3 with a home run and Callee Heen was 2-for-3 with a season-high five RBI on Wednesday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Hitchcock fired five innings, allowing two unearned run while spacing five hits. She tied her season-high with nine strikeouts with just one walk.
 
In the top of the first, St. Bonaventure loaded the bases with one out. But Hitchcock was able to get out of the jam by striking out the side to escape damage.
 
Hawai'i broke out on the scoreboard in the first, posting four runs to start the game. UH loaded the bases with no outs and Heen promptly cleared the bases with an opposite field, three-RBI double laced down the leftfield line to score Brittnee Rossi, Nicole Lopez, and Cheeks Ramos. Sissy Pantastico later drove in Heen with an RBI-single up the middle.
 
In the second, Tatumn Satow beat out an infield single on a slow chopper to second. Rossi then walked and Lopez then drilled a single off the centerfield fence which drove in Satow. Ramos then drew a walk to load the bases. Heen then ripped a single to right to drive in both Rossi and Lopez. Jenna Kumabe then lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Ramos to give UH the 8-0 lead.
 
SBU loaded the bases again in third and scored two runs on wild pitches to cut UH's lead to 8-2.
 
But Lopez got one run back, leading off the fourth inning with a solo home run to left. It marked Lopez's sixth home run of the season to tie Heen for th team-lead.  Later with a runner at first, Kumabe hit a single to left. But on the play, the leftfielder kind of kicked the ball which allowed Heen to hustle to the plate to score all the way from first. Bree Soma then drove in Kumabe with an RBI single to centerfield.
 
For Lopez, it marked the second-straight game that she's gone 3-for-3 at the plate. She has eight-consecutive hits with two walks mixed in the middle dating back to Canisius on Feb. 23. She went 3-for-3 tonight against SBU; 3-for-3 against Canisius on Feb. 24; and 2-for-2 with two walks against Canisius on Feb. 23. Her hit in the first inning, extended her team-best hitting streak to eight—tying her season high after starting the season with eight consecutive games with a hit.
 
Hawai'i continues the Outrigger Resorts Spring Fling Tournament on Thursday playing in the third game of the day at 6:00 pm as UH takes on California at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.