LA JOLLA, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (11-11, 5-2 Big West) dropping its series opener at UC San Diego (18-14, 6-1 BWC), 2-0 in a pitcher's dual between freshmen Jada Cecil (UCSD) and Brianna Lopez.
 
Lopez fired a complete game in the loss. She allowed two runs while spacing four hits with a walk and a strike out. She and the UH defense played well, as she faced just three batters over the minimum (24) and only threw 81 pitches. The defense accounted for eight flyouts and nine groundouts. Lopez is now 6-5 overall and 3-2 in conference.
 
UC San Diego's Jada Cecil had 16 strikeouts in the game en route to the shutout. She gave up two hits and improved her record to 11-2 overall and 5-0 in conference. It was the most strikeouts against UH since UC Davis' Brooke Yanez had 18 vs. UH on May 9, 2019.
 
Hawai'i had two runners on base in the first, third and seventh innings, but were unable to punch through on the scoreboard. UH advanced its first runner at third with two outs in the seventh.
 
UCSD scored the game's first run in the third on an RBI groundout to third by Bobbi Aguirre that scored Zoe Richards from third. In the sixth, Isabel Lavrov led off the inning with a solo home run to left to give the Tritons an insurance run.
 
Hawai'i and UC San Diego will square off with a series ending doubleheader on Saturday, April 2 at 10:00 a.m.