HONOLULU -- The University of Hawai'i softball team opened a three-game Big West series against UC Riverside with a  2-1 loss Friday at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The Rainbow Wahine fell to 9-9 overall and 8-5 after falling victim to a gem by Riverside hurler Chrys Hildebrand.
 
Hildebrand threw a complete-game, two-hitter will striking out  10 Rainbow batters to earn her third win of the season and end a six-game skid for the Highlanders. Hildebrand had a shutout going into the seventh until an untimely error got UH back in the game.
 
Jetta Nannen surrendered nine hits for UH but limited the Highlanders (4-18, 3-10 BWC) to just two runs. Nannen struck out seven, while leaving nine UCR runners on base.  
 
UC Riverside got on the board first when Allison Troche drove in Kennedi Sorensen from third base in the top of the fourth. UH looked to respond in the bottom of the inning when Nawai Kaupe got UH's first hit of the game when she ripped a single off Hildebrand. Maya Nakamura took a Hildebrand offering deep to center field, but Troche tacked it down at the wall.
 
The Highlanders tacked on another run in the sixth and took a two-run lead into the final inning. UH made it interesting in the final frame. Kaupe hit a high pop fly at home base that was misplayed by UCR, allowing the speedy Kaupe to advance all the way to third. A Nakamura sacrifice fly brought her in for UH's first run and a Dallas Millwood single in the next at-bat continued to give UH life. But Hildebrand eventually sealed the game with her 10th strikeout of the game.
 
UH and UCR  will be back in action Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.