HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (22-13, 5-4 Big West) swept Saturday's doubleheader to win the three-game series over UC San Diego (14-19, 4-5 BW), 2-1. UH did not allow a run in either game on Saturday as the Rainbow Wahine held off UCSD, 2-0 to start the day, then UH pitcher
Brianna Lopez fired her first career complete game, no-hit shutout in the series finale for the 3-0 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
DH-GAME 1: Hawai'i 2, UC San Diego 0
UH starting pitcher Key-Annah Campbell-Pua fired a six-hit shutout to improve to 9-4 overall and 2-1 in conference. She allowed just one walks with three strikeouts in her third shutout of the season. She now has seven complete games under her belt as a freshman.
With runners at the corners and one out in the second,
Mya'Liah Bethea stole second and drew the throw which sailed wide allowing
Izabella Martinez to score from third for an early 1-0 lead.
In the fourth with runners at first and second. Annamaria Nuño hit a single to right, but UCSD's rightfielder threw home to cut down pinch-runner
Jadyn Nielsen trying to score at the plate as the Tritons preserve their one-run deficit.
Hawai'i loaded the bases with one out in the fifth when Martiez lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score
Ka'ena Keliinoi from third to pad their lead to 2-0.
Campbell-Pua got defensive help highlighted by a couple diving plays from
Cira Bartolotti in center and Annamaria Nuño in right end the first and the third innings.
UCSD starter Gabby Williams took the loss, dropping her record to 4-7 overall. She allowed two runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Kaia Simpson three the final 1-2/3 innings, giving up just one hit with a walk and a strikeout.
Hawai'i 3, UC San Diego 0
Sophomore starter
Brianna Lopez fired a gem in the series finale. The southpaw was just one walk away from tossing a perfect game. She retired the last 16-straight batters while fanning eight Tritons en route to her fifth complete game shutout and her 10
th complete game of the season. Lopez was uber efficient, throwing just 81 pitches in the seven inning win.
The no-hitter was UH's second of the season as rookie pitcher Key-Annah Campbell-Pua tossed a seven-inning no-hitter against Montana in Las Vegas, Nev. on Feb. 19.
The Rainbow Wahine rallied on two outs in the first to take a 1-0 lead.
Maya Nakamura and
Haley Johnson drove back-to-back doubles to the left-center gap. Johnson's opposite-field double drove in Nakamura for her team-leading 30
th RBI of the season.
Nakamura led off the fourth with a soft looper right over the pitcher that fell in for an infield single. Johnson then drilled a two-run, opposite-field home run over the left-centerfield fence that give UH a 3-0 lead. It was her fourth homer of the season and seventh of her career.
UC San Diego's Jada Cecil (6-6) took the loss in a complete-game effort. She allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts.
Hawai'i will now head to San Luis Obispo for a three-game conference series at Cal Poly next week. The Rainbow Wahine and Mustangs will square off in a single game on Friday April 7 at 3:00 p.m. HT followed by a Saturday doubleheader on April 8.
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