SANTA BARBARA—The University of Hawai'i softball team (7-15, 0-1 Big West) got off to a hot start and scored four more in the sixth, but it was not enough to overcome a nine-run fourth and two-run fifth by UC Santa Barbara, as the Gauchos came back to win both teams' Big West opener, 11-9. UH reliever Mllie Fidge (2-3) suffered the loss in relief on Friday afternoon at UCSB's Campus Diamond.
Hawai'i jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead. Leadoff hitter Xiao Gin was plunked to start the game off.
Ka'ena Keliinoi then put down a sac bunt and reached first safely on a throwing error.
Izabella Martinez followed by lacing an opposite-field double to the left-centerfield gap to drive in both Gin and Keliinoi. Walks to Nakamura and Millwood loaded the bases, UCSB starting pitcher Ainsley Waddell was lifted for Emily McCoskey.
Chloe Borges drew a bases loaded walk to score Martinez for UH's third run.
Maya Nakamura led off the third with a single to right and later with two outs,
Mya'Liah Bethea blasted a two-run bomb over the centerfield fence extending UH's lead to 5-0. It marked her league leading sixth home run of the season.
UH starter
Addison Kostrencich started the game retiring the first nine-straight batters. But in the fourth, UCSB rallied to score nine runs. Maddie McNally led off with a double to left-centerfield. Jazzy Santos followed with a two-run homer. Ashley Donaldson later hit a three run homer to tie the score at 5-5 and end Kostrenchich's outing. Millie Fidge then entered the game in relief and gave up a walk to start her appearance. She then gave up a two-run home run and three consecutive singles plus another run before Kostrencich re-entered the game. The Gauchos posted one more run on an RBI-single as they propelled past UH for a 9-5 lead. Seven runs came off three Gaucho home runs and UCSB batted around the order bringing 14 batters to the plate.
The Gauchos tacked on two more runs in the fifth on an RBI ground out and a run down between first and second got the second out but allowed the 11
th run to score.
Hawai'i rallied on two outs to get four runs back in the sixth. Martinez picked up her third hit of the game with a single to right.
Haley Johnson followed with a double to right to put both runners in scoring position for Nakamura who also notched her third hit of the game—a single to left that drove in both Martinez and Johnson. Millwood then launched a home run to right to drive in Nakamura to cut UH's deficit to 11-9.
Gin was able to get on base with a two-out single, but a flyout to center ended the game.
Hawai'i's Kostrencich started and closed the game, throwing a combined 5.2 innings. She allowed seven runs on 10 hits with a walk and a strikeout. Fidge was able to get just one out in the fourth but allowed four runs—including the go-ahead UCSB runs—on four hits with a walk.
UC Santa Barbara's starter Ainsley Wadell was able to get one our in the first, but gave up three runs on one hit with a pair of walks. McCoskey earned the win to improve to 2-0. She threw five-and-a-third innings allowing six runs on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Camryn Snyder got her first save of the season, shutting down UH's offense for the final one-and-a-third innings giving up just one hit.
The two teams will square off in a series ending double-header on Saturday, March 16. First pitch is scheduled for 9:00 am HT at Campus Diamond.
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