HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team won the Outrigger Hawai'i Invitational on Saturday with a pair of shutouts fired by UH's duo of freshmen pitchers. The Rainbow Wahine pulled away from Abilene Christian, 5-0 in the first game to advance to the championship game. Chloe Borges fired a two-hit, complete game shutout to improve to 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the tournament. On the other side of the bracket, Montana, who was 0-3 in pool play, upset North Dakota who was undefeated in the tourney entering today's games. The Grizzlies downed the Fighting Hawks, 1-0 to meet UH in the championship game. Hawai'i held off Montana, 2-0 as starter Brianna Lopez followed her 11-strikeout performance last night, with a one-hit complete game shutout. With UH's two wins on Saturday, the 'Bows evened its record at 5-5 after posting a 4-1 record in the tourney.
 
Hawai'i 5, Abilene Christian 0
 
UH came into the final day of the tournament as the No. 3 seed. Hawai'i upset the No. 2 seed, Abilene Christian to advance into the championship game with a 5-0 victory.
 
UH starter Chloe Borges fired a two-hit shutout to improve to 3-2 overall. She allowed three walks while striking out a career-high nine strikeouts. For the tourney, she fired three complete games allowing six runs on 16 hits with seven walks and 15 strikeouts.
 
Hawai'i took a 3-0 lead in the third. Izabella Martinez drove in Nawai Kaupe with an RBI single. Later, Martinez worked her way around the bases to score on a wild pitch and Maya Nakamura followed, scoring on a another wild pitch.
 
UH added two runs in the fifth. Millwood was plunked and Borges followed with a single to third. Pinch-runners Piper Neri and Cira Bartolotti both moved into scoring position on a Brittnee Rossi sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Rachel "Bueller" Sabourin came through with a clutch single deep in the 5-6 hole to score both Neri and Bartolotti.
 
ACU's Sidney Holman suffered the loss, allowing all five runs in six innings of work. She had six strikeouts and two walks. Hannah Benavides finished the final inning giving up a walk.
 
Martinez was the only UHH player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 and had an RBI and a run scored. Sabourin picked up her first two RBI of the season with a timely single with runners in scoring position.
 
 
Hawai'i 2, Montana 0
 
The Rainbow Wahine held off the scrappy Grizzlies, 2-0 to win the championship in a pitcher's duel between UH's Lopez and Montana's Allie Brock. Lopez flirted with a no-hitter, retiring the first nine-straight batters. She earned the complete game win, with six strikeouts while facing 23 batters faced—just two over the minimum with a walk and a hit. Lopez recorded a 0.00 ERA in two complete games pitched. She recorded 17 strikeouts to just four walks in 14.0 innings pitched.
 
UM's Brock took the loss in a complete game effort. She gave up two runs with a walk and five strikeouts.
 
In the fourth inning, Dallas Millwood was inches away from a home run over the left-centerfield fence. The ball was smashed but bounced back into the field after it hit almost the very top of the fence. Instead, it was an RBI double that scored pinch runner Cira Bartolotti for a 1-0 lead.
 
Hawai'i got an important insurance run in the fifth as Izabella Martinez came through with an RBI single that drove in Ka'ena Keliinoi to give UH a 2-0 lead.
 
Millwood led UH on offense in the game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI double and Keliinoi added another double.
 
The Rainbow Wahine will have a week off before hosting the Bank of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine Classic (March 9-12, 2022). The tourney is packed with power with No. 1 and defending national champions, Oklahoma, Baylor and California.
 
Outrigger Hawai'i Invitational - FINAL STANDINGS
1-Hawai'i
2-Montana
3-Abilene Christian 
4-North Dakota
 
Outrigger Hawai'i Invitational All-Tournament Team
Mercedes Eichelberger (Abilene Christian)
Sydney Kaiser (Abilene Christian)
Maygen McGrath (Montana)
Callie Burris (Abilene Christian)
Jocelyn Kirk (North Dakota)
Alexys Campos (North Dakota)
Janney Jones (North Dakota)
Nawai Kaupe (Hawai'i)
Ka'ena Keliinoi (Hawai'i)
Brianna Lopez (UH)
 
Most Valuable Pitcher
Chloe Borges (Hawai'i)
 
Most Valuable Player
Maya Nakamura (Hawai'i