HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (29-12, 12-7 Big West) launched three solo home runs and got timely hitting with the bases loaded to down Long Beach State (23-21, 13-6 BW), 7-3 in the series opener on Friday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. UH starter Key-Annah Campbell-Pua earned the complete game win to improve to 11-5, while
Maya Nakamura went 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run.
Campbell-Pua allowed three runs while scattering six hits. She had two walks and a pair of strikeouts in her ninth complete game of the season.
In the bottom of the second,
Cira Bartolotti drilled a solo home run to centerfield to give UH an early 1-0 lead. It was her third homer of the season and fourth of the senior centerfielder's career.
Hawai'i added another solo home run in the third by
Maya Nakamura. The shot sailed over the centerfield fence to give UH a 2-0 lead. It was Nakamura's fifth round-tripper of the season and 15
th of her career.
In the top of the fourth with one out, the Beach got back-to-back infield singles followed by a three-run home run by Mikayla Ceballos to leapfrog into the lead, 3-2.
But in the bottom of the fourth, UH responded scoring five runs.
Mya'Liah Bethea blasted UH's third solo home run of the game to start the frame. The ball was hit high and drifted over the left-centerfield fence. It was Bethea's Big West-leading 12
th home run of the season and her 14
th of her career. The Rainbow Wahine kept things rolling with back-to-back walks that ended the night for Beach starter Shannon Haddad as Eryka Gonzales entered the game with no outs and runners at first and second.
Cierra Yamamoto laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt and reached safely on a fielding error by the catcher to load the bases. Xiao Gin was then plunked to score
Maycen Gibbs from third. Nakamura then hit an RBI single to right to drive in Yamamoto.
Haley Johnson then ripped an opposite-field double to the left-center gapthat drove in both Gin and
Ka'ena Keliinoi to extend UH's lead to 7-3.
In the top of the sixth, the Beach loaded the bases with one out, but a 1-2-3 (Campbell-Pua-to-Martinez-to-Bethea) double play ended the inning and thwarted the rally.
Long Beach State starter Haddad (12-9) suffered the loss. She threw the first three-plus innings allowing five runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. Gonzales tossed the final three innings giving up two runs on two hits with two strikeouts.
Hawai'i and Long Beach State will square off in a series-ending doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 2:05 p.m.. It is Youth Day at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadiums and youth softball teams are encouraged to come out to the ballpark.
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