HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (24-15, 7-6 Big West) hit three home runs, but it was not enough as UC Riverside (16-22, 3-10 BW) rallied for a combined nine runs in the final two innings to defeat the Rainbow Wahine, 9-7 on Friday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
The 'Bows led 6-0 after five complete innings 6-0, but the Highlanders hit a three run home run in the sixth and then added six more in the seventh to for the come-from-behind win.
 
UCR reliever Alexis Galvan (1-1) earned the win, throwing the final 3-1/3 innings allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
 
Hawai'i starter Brianna Lopez (12-8, 4-5 BW) suffered the loss, allowing a career-high tying nine runs on eight hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Lopez left the game with one out and the bases loaded in the seventh. Reliever Chloe Borges got the final two outs giving up two hits and a walk, but the tying and winning runs scored with Borges pitching with Lopez responsible for the runs.
 
Hawai'i began the game with a bang. With two outs in the first, UH's designated player Haley Johnson blasted a two-run shot over the rightfield fence to drive in Maya Nakamura. Johnson's fifth round-tripper of the season and eighth of her career gave UH an early 2-0 lead.
 
The Highlanders led the third off with back-to-back singles. But the 'Bows stranded the runners at first and second as they retired the next three in a row.
 
UCR brought in relief pitcher Grace Pieson to start the fourth inning for Maddie Heinlin. Izabella Martinez continued her hot hitting as she launched a two-run bomb over the centerfield fence to extend UH's lead to 4-0. The homer drove in pinch runner Larissa Goshi who was in for Johnson who led the inning off with a single. It was Martinez's sixth home run of the season and career. Hawai'i went on to load the bases on three walks with two outs but were unable to push any more runs across.
 
Hawai'i added two more runs off a two-run home run to left by Mya'Liah Bethea. It was Bethea's league leading 10^th home run of the season and 12^th of her career.
 
In the sixth, the Highlanders cut their deficit in half with a three-run home run to left-centerfield  by Marissa Burk.
 
Hawai'i got one run back in the bottom of the sixth as Nakamura battled at the plate for an eight-pitch at-bat that led to an RBI-single to right that drove in Cierra Yamamoto from second to give UH a 7-3 lead.
 
The Highlanders rallied in the seventh for six runs off four hits, three walks, an error and a hit batter. UCR loaded the bases with no outs and two came on a single by Nadia Witt that bounced to the leftfield wall. UCR then loaded the bases again. Back-to-back walks force two runs across the plate to tie the game at 7-7. With the bases still juiced, Gigi Araki nubbed a single to left for the go-ahead run and Taylor Burdette gave the Highlanders an insurance run on an RBI-single that pushed UCR's lead to 9-7 going to the last half inning.
 
UCR starter Maddie Henlin threw the first three complete innings, allowing two runs on three hits with a strikeout. Grace Pieson got the first two outs in the fourth inning. She gave up two runs on two hits with three walks and a strikeout before Galvan came in to close the game.
 
The three-game series concludes tomorrow with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 15. First pitch is slated for 4:00 P.M. HT.