IRVINE, Calif.—University of Hawai'i softball seniors Brittany Hitchcock and Nicole Lopez earned Big West Pitcher and Player of the Week honors respectively after leading the Rainbow Wahine to a series sweep over UC Riverside this past week.
 
Hitchcock, a sixth-year senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., earned her fourth career Big West Pitcher of the Week award and the first of the season after recording all three wins against the Highlanders. She earned the first two wins as the starter and third as a reliever.

Against UCR, Hitchcock posted a 0.45 ERA in 15.2 innings of work, striking out seven and walking just one. She fired a pair of complete games to open the series as the Rainbow Wahine won 2-0 and 9-1. She registered her sixth shutout of the season in the opener, scattering four hits with four strikeouts.

Hitchcock allowed three hits and one run in another complete game stint, a 9-1 five-inning mercy rule win in the second game.

Coming out of the bullpen in the series finale, Hitchcock pitched 3.2 innings of two-hit, scoreless ball in a 4-1 triumph. She held opposing hitters to a .167 batting average over the weekend.
 
She improved to 17-7 overall and 9-2 in conference action. Overall she has a 1.78 ERA in 141.1 innings pitched with 22 walks to 92 strikeouts. Hitchcock has held opposing batters to a .231 batting average.
  
Lopez, a senior from 'Aiea, O'ahu and Mid-Pacific Institute, garnered her third career Big West Player of the Week award. The third baseman smacked a double and a home run as part of a 5-for-9 (.556) effort at the plate against the Highlanders. She tallied a .636 on-base percentage and 1.000 slugging percentage for the series.

Lopez scored a team-high four runs to go along with her team-best five hits. She also drove in a pair of runs, accounting for six of UH's 15 runs scored against the Highlanders. She was able to hit safely and score at least one run in all three games against UCR.

In the series opener, Lopez went 2-for-3 with a double, run scored, a walk and a stolen base. In game two, she blasted her 12th home run of the season, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs in a 9-1 victory. She tied her career high total for homers at 12 set as a sophomore.

At the hot corner, Lopez also dazzled in the field, turning a pair of rally-killing double plays (5u3 and L5U) from third base in the Friday win, and was flawless with a 1.000 fielding percentage.


Lopez has hit safely in 34 of UH's 43 games this season. Overall she is hitting at a career-high .368 clip and leads UH with 53 hits, 43 runs scored, 11 doubles  and five stolen bases (tied with Brittnee Rossi).
 
Hawai'i will play their final road series of the season at CSUN this weekend. The two teams will square off in a single game on Friday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m. HT followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 10:00 a.m. HT.