FLA JOLLA, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (12-17, 5-3 Big West) split Friday's doubleheader at UC San Diego (12-21, 5-2 Big West) on Friday at Triton Softball Field. The Tritons shut out Hawai'i in the first game, 2-0, but the Rainbow Wahine bounced back to even the series with a 5-2 win in the second game. Due to incoming inclement weather the two teams flipped the doubleheader to be played on Friday and the single game to be played on Saturday.
UC San Diego 2, Hawai'i 0
The opening game of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel between Hawai'i starter
Addison Kostrencich and UC San Diego's India Caldwell. Kostrencich fell to 6-6 in a complete game effort. She gave up two runs in the first inning and then held the Tritons scoreless the rest of the game. She retired 11-straight Tritons between the second throught the fifth innings. Kostrencich had just one walk with four strikeouts in the loss
UCSD's India Caldwell tossed a complete-game shutout to improve to 9-6 overall. She retired 10-straight Rainbow Wahine between the first and fourth innings. Caldwell spacing five hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
The Tritons loaded the bases with one out in the first frame. Brooklyn Lee drove in a pair of run on a double to the leftfield corner. UH starter
Addison Kostrencich ended the inning with a pair of strikeouts. That was all the scoring Caldwell would need as she held off the 'Bows for the complete game win.
Hawai'I had its best scoring opportunity in the sixth as the 'Bows loaded the bases with one out, but UCSD's Caldwell got a pop-out and a inning ending fielder's choice to second to thwart the UH rally.
Hawai'i 5, UC San Diego 2
Hawai'i starting pitcher Key-Annah Campbell-Pua earned the complete game win to improve to 4-5 overall and 3-0 in conference. She scattered eight hits, allowing two runs with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
The Tritons again struck first, putting a run on the scoreboard in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. The speedy Morgan Eng scored from second with two outs on an infield single up the middle.
Chloe Borges led the top of the second off with a hard hit single to third. The third baseman knocked it down,but her throw to first bounced into foul territory allowing Borges to hustle into second safely. Borges tagged on a
Mya'Liah Bethea flyout to deep center and scooted to third. Then with one out, Borges scored on a wild pitch to knot the score at 1-1.
Hawai'i started the third off with a line-out to first, but
Izabella Martinez hit a single to second and then
Haley Johnson reached on a fielding error on the shortstop.
Maya Nakamura drew a walk to load the bases for
Dallas Millwood who drilled a single up the middle to drive in both Martinez and pinch-runner
Maya Ichimura for a 3-1 lead.
UH extended its lead to 5-1 tacking on two more runs in the seventh. Johnson led off with a single up the middle and Nakamura reached on a fielding error on the second baseman. Millwood then drilled a ground-rule double that bounced over the right-centerfield fence to score Johnson from second for Millwood's third RBI of the game. Borges then lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Nakamura from third for the four-run lead.
The Tritons loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh. UH got the first out on a fielder's choice to third with Keliinoi throwing home to force out the lead runner at the plate. UH got the second out on a fielder's choice to short with Xiao Gin fielding and flipping the ball to Nakamura at second for the force out. Hawai'i ended the game on the same fielder's choice hit to short with a flip to second for the final out.
Triton's starter Shelby Thompson suffered the loss, dropping her record to 1-8. She allowed three runs on nine hits with a walk and a strikeout in six innings. Caldwell gave up two runs on two hits with a strikeout in an inning of work.
The series finale between UH and UCSD will be played on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. HT – weather permitting – at the Triton Softball Field in La Jolla, Calif..
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