HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (5-12) split their opening doubleheader of the OUTRIGGER Rainbow Wahine Classic, falling by one run to Connecticut, 4-2 but bouncing back to down New Mexico. 3-1 on Thursday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
Maya Nakamura powered the UH offense going 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and a pair of three-run home runs.
UConn 4, Hawai'i 3
The game was scoreless until the top of the sixth, when UConn erupted for four runs. Rosie Garcia hit a three run home run that end UH starter Key-Annah Campbell-Pua's appearance. Later, Haley Coupal reached on a fielding error that allowed Kaitlyn Kibbling to score against UH reliever Millie Fidge. The Huskies led UH 4-0.
In the bottom of the six however, Hawai'I's
Maya Nakamura's blasted a three-run home run over the leftfield fence to drive in pinch runners
Cherish Hose and
Piper Neri to bring UH to within a run of UConn, 4-3.
In the bottom of the seventh with two outs, pinch hitter
Madixx Muramoto reached first on a throwing error on the shortstop. Muramoto scooted to second on a wild pitch to put the tying run in scoring position. Xiao Gin battled at the plate but struck out swinging to end the game.
With the loss, Campbell-Pua fell to 1-4 on the season. She gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts in five plus innings of work. Reliever Fidge gave up one run on one hit with a walk and a pair of strikeouts while getting the final six outs.
UConn's Payton Kinney improved to 1-2 overall throwing the first five innings. She allowed no runs on three hits with nine strike outs. Hallie Siems gave up the three-run homer and got two outs in the sixth with a strikeout. Closer Meghan O'Neil picked up her second save of the day, getting the final four outs all on strikeouts.
Hawai'i 3, New Mexico 1
New Mexico 1, Hawai'i 0
The Lobos got a run to start the game on an RBI-double by Chloe Yeatts that scored Rachael Hathoot for an early 1-0 lead.
New Mexico held the one-run lead until the bottom of the sixth. UH senior third baseman
Ka'ena Keliinoi led off with a single throught the rightside of the infield.
Izabella Martinez then executed a sacrifice bunt to push Keliinoi into scoring position. Designated player
Haley Johnson then reached first on an error on the shortstop to allow Keliinoi to hustle into third to put runners at the corners and one out. Nakamura then struck again, hitting a three-run bomb to centerfield to drive in Johnson and Keliinoi and propel the Rainbow Wahine into a 3-1 lead with an inning to go.
Hawai'i starter
Addison Kostrencich earned the complete-game win to improve to 3-4 on the season. She gave up a run on four hits with two walks and a strikeout. She retired eight batters in a row twice in the game.
New Mexico starter Taylor Snow allowed three runs on five hits with a walk in six complete innings.
The OUTRIGGER Rainbow Wahine Classic continues on Friday with UH playing two of three games on tap. UH will replay today's opponents, starting with UConn at 3:30 p.m. and UNM at 6:00 p.m. at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
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