FULLERTON, CALIF.— The University of Hawai'i softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Cal State Fullerton, the top team in the Big West Conference, Saturday evening at Anderson Family Field.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (11-17, 10-11) have lost eight in a row after being swept by the top two teams in the conference. The Titans (38-12, 21-0) remain perfect in Big West contests and have set themselves up with a season-ending series to clinch the conference championship next week. CSF just needs to win one game to claim the title, while Long Beach State will need to sweep.
 
UH will return home for its final series of the 2021 season with a three-game set against UC Davis beginning on Thursday. At the end of the series on Friday, the 'Bows will honor their seven seniors.
 
Game 1
 
It didn't take long for both UH and CSF to get on the board, but the later innings belonged to the home squad leading to an 11-3 loss for the 'Bows.
 
Senior infielder Angelique "Cheeks" Ramos got the game, and the UH offense going in the top of the first with a single and was quickly followed up by a run-scoring triple from junior shortstop Nawai Kaupe. Hot-hitting senior first baseman Dallas Millwood stepped up two batters later to drive in Kaupe with a double to the left-center field wall making it 2-0 in favor of the 'Bows after the first inning.
 
A three-run homer by the Titans' Hannah Becerra in the bottom half of the inning swung momentum back to CSF with a 3-2 advantage going into the second. UH pulled the game back to a tie at 3-3 following a sacrifice fly by Millwood, giving her three runs batted in on the series.
 
The Titans regained the lead in the bottom of the third with three runs in the frame and later ended the game with five runs in fifth.
 
Sophomore pitcher Jetta Nannen showed flashes of brilliance, working her way out of trouble against the Titans' high-powered offense, but picked up her ninth loss of the season. Both Kaupe and Ramos solidified multi-hit games to lead the UH lineup.
 
Game 2
 
UH took CSF to the edge in game four but fell short in the comeback effort 5-4.
 
The 'Bows jumped out to an early lead at 1-0 as Millwood drove in a run in the top half of the first with a sacrifice fly, scoring Kaupe. The Titans put together back-to-back two-run innings in the second and third for a 4-1 lead.
 
In the top of the fourth, senior left fielder Bree Soma hit an opposite-field home run for her third of the season, igniting the offense. Millwood struck again in the fifth for another RBI, her fifth of the series, on a groundout to second scoring Kaupe and bringing UH with one at 4-3.
 
The Titans added insurance when they needed to with a run in the fifth as well, and UH pulled within one again after freshman utility player Maya Nakamura drew a walk to force in Soma with the bases loaded. Sophie Frost, who recorded her 20th win of the season in game one, came in to close the door with a scoreless seventh for the save.
 
Junior Ashley Murphy picked up her second loss of the series and her seventh of the year. It was her fourth complete game of 2021, as she allowed five earned runs over six innings.