HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (2-9) opened the Spring Fling Tournament with a 4-1 win over Tennessee State. UH starter Key-Annah Campbell-Pua earned her first win of 2024 in a complete game effort to improve to 1-3. The Rainbow Wahine's offense was highlighted by a solo home run by junior centerfielder Chloe Borges on Thursday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Campbell-Pua was sharp early, retiring the first 13-straight batters to take a perfect game into the fifth when the Tigers thwarted her bid for a perfect game bid, a no-hitter, and a shut out. She ended up allowing one run on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
In the second inning, Chloe Borges blasted a home run for the second-straight game. She drove a shot over the leftfield fence to give UH an early 1-0 lead. It was Borges' second homer of the season and fourth of her career. Later with two outs in the second, shortstop Xiao Gin hit a grounder to the rightside that ricocheted off the second baseman to allow pinch runner Larissa Goshi and leftfielder Mya'Liah Bethea to score and extend UH's lead to 3-0.

With two outs in the fourth and runners at the corners, the runner at first, Dallas Millwood induced a throw to second and was able to get caught in a rundown which allowed pinch-runner Keely Kai to score a run and lengthen the 'Bows' lead to 4-0. .
 
Tennessee State's Jasmine Blackburn laced an RBI single to right to drive in Nahtali Simpson. Campbell-Pua then got a strikeout swinging to end the inning with a 4-1 lead.
 
The Tigers were threatening again in the sixth.  With an out and runners at first and second, UH second baseman Maya Nakamura snared a line drive and fired to first to double up the runner and the inning ending double-play.
 
A scary moment in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, UH's Jamie McGaughey  hit a single to the right-centerfield gap. On the play, TSU centerfielder Mikayla Duke dove for the ball. She hit the ground awkwardly and remained down for several minutes and was taken away in an ambulance.
 
After about a 40 minute injury delay the two teams warmed up to resume the game.
 
In the top of the seventh, TSU got a single and a walk on one out. A passed ball pushed both runners into scoring position. Campbell-Pua got Blackburn to hit a grounder to Nakamura at second who fielded it cleanly and fired home to catcher Izabella Martinez who applied the tag for the second out. Campell-Pua then caught a little pop up to end the game.
 
Tennessee State starter Caitl Manus took the loss, allowing four runs on two hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts in four innings of work. Holly Ayala threw the final two innings, spacing two hits with a walk.
 
The Spring Fling Tournament continues on Friday, March 1. On Day 2, Hawai'i will play Portland State at 4:00 p.m. HT followed by LMU at 6:00 p.m. HT at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.