HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (26-15, 9-6 Big West) bounced back after a heartbreaking loss on Friday night to sweep UC Riverside (16-24, 3-12 BW) in Saturday's doubleheader. The two win their fourth Big West series, 2-1. Hawai'i edged out the UCR in eight innings, coming from behind after yielding a four-run lead early to win, 6-5 on a sacrifice fly by
Maya Nakamura to score Xiao Gin for the win. In the DH opener, UH relief pitcher
McKenna Kostyszyn earned her first Rainbow Wahine career win coming through in the clutch for the 'Bows. In the series finale, UH was powered by four home runs—two by
Izabella Martinez including a grand slam. Starter
Brianna Lopez rebounded after Friday night's loss to earn a complete game win in the 7-1 series clinching win on Saturday at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
For the second-straight week, reigning Big West Field Player of the Week, sophomore catcher Martinez led Hawai'i on offense. Against UC Riverside, she hit .600 (6-for-10) with four home runs and eight RBI.
GAME 1: Hawai'i 6, UC Riverside 5 (8 innings)
Hawai'i jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings. But the Highlanders chipped away and then took a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh. UH's
Izabella Martinez led off the seventh with a solo shot over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 5-5 and force extra innings. In the eighth, UH reliever Kostaszyn retired the Highlanders in order for the first clean inning of the game. In the bottom of the eighth, with one out and Xiao Gin at third,
Maya Nakamura lifted a walk-off sacrifice fly to right for the victory.
Hawai'i reliever Kostaszyn earned her first career win as a Rainbow Wahine. The New Mexico transfer threw 1-2/3 innings. She did not allow a run and gave up a hit with a walk and a strikeout. UH starter Key-Annah Campbell-Pua threw the first 6-1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Ka'ena Keliinoi got UH on the scoreboard first, launching a solo home run in the bottom of the first. It was Keliinoi's fifth home run of the season and ninth of her career. Later with two outs, UH loaded the bases on an infield single sandwiched by a pair of errors. A walk to
Cierra Yamamoto scored
Haley Johnson for an early 2-0 lead.
UH added two runs in the second, cashing in on two Riverside fielding errors, the second of which was a grounder between the shortstops legs which rolled into left center allowing Anna maria Nuño. Nakamura then hit a solid single through the leftside of the infield to drive in Keliinoi for the RBI and a 4-0 lead.
The Highlanders' Marissa Burk cut their deficit in half with a two-run home run in the top of the third.
UC Riverside struck again posting a run. With a runner at first, Jackie Alday hit a grounder to first. The throw to try to get the lead runner at two sailed into the left-centerfield gap which allowed Leah Brito to score from first.
UCR's Alday led off the sixth with a home run to left to knot the score at 4-4. Then in the seventh, N Witt hit a solo home run to center for the go-ahead run and a 5-4 lead. UH reliever
McKenna Kostyszyn then entered
Izabella Martinez led off the seventh with a solo home run to centerfield to knot the game at 5-5. It was her sixth homer of the season and her career.
Behind the pitching of UH reliever Kostazyn, the 'Bows retired the Highlanders in order for the first time of the game in the top of the eighth ending with her first strikeout as a Rainbow Wahine.
Gin led off the eighth with an infield single to short. Keliinoi then executed a sacrifice bunt. But on the play, no one was covering third, so Gin alertly sprinted her way all the way to third. Nakamura then stepped to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly to right. Tagging on the play was Gin at third who slid in under the tag for the winning run.
UC Riverside starter Brooke Perez threw the first 4-2/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with a walk and a strikeout. Briza Blanco shut out UH for the next 1-1/3 innings, giving up just one hit with a pair of strikeouts. Emma Falen started the seventh, but allowed the tying home run and was able to get two outs. Alexis Galvan got the third out in the seventh before giving up the winning run with two outs in the eighth.
DH Game 2: Hawai'i 7, UC Riverside 1
Hawai'i starter
Brianna Lopez (13-8, 5-5 Big West) earned the complete game win. She allowed just one run while scattering eight hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.
All of UH's seven runs came off four UH home runs—two by Martinez—as UH powered past the Highlanders.
Martinez hit her second home run of the day with an opposite-field shot over the left-field fence. She hit a home run in all three games of the UCR series and now has eight round-trippers on the year and in her career.
Keliinoi hit her second home run of the day in the third inning. Keliinoi's sixth home run of the season and 10
th of her career gave UH a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, UCR's Brito hit a single to center to drive in the runner from second. On the play, Brito was thrown out by the catcher Martinez to shortstop Gin trying to advance to second on the throw home.
In the fifth, with the bases loaded, Martinez blasted her first career grand slam over the centerfield fence for her second homer of the game and fourth of the series as she tied her career-high with five RBI. Hawai'i then had back-to-back home runs as
Mya'Liah Bethea blasted a solo shot over the left-centerfield fence to extend UH's lead to 7-1. It was Bethea's second home run of the series. She now has a league-best 11 home runs on the season and 13 for her career.
The Highlanders used four pitchers in the loss. Starter Maddie Heinlin tossed the first 4.0 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Grace Pieson started the fifth inning, although she got two outs, she loaded the bases and was lifted for Alexis Galvan who was unable record an out, but allowed back-to-back home runs (grand slam and solo HR). In all, she was responsible for three runs on two hits with a walk. Brooke Perez closed the game, throwing the final 1-1/3 innings giving up just one hit.
The Rainbow Wahine next travels to take on CSU Bakersfield in a three-game Big West series. UH will face the Roadrunners in a single game at 11:00 A.M. HT on Friday, April 21 followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, April 22 beginning at 9:00 A.M. HT.
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