RIVERSIDE—The University of Hawai'i softball team (14-18, 7-5 Big West) split Saturday's doubleheader at UC Riverside (12-22, 6-8 BW) on Friday at the Amy S. Harrison Field. The Rainbow Wahine erased a 4-0 deficit in Game 1, scoring seven unanswered runs en route to an 8-5 win powered by a pair of solo home runs by Mya'Liah Bethea and a complete-game win thrown by Addison Kostrencich. But in Game 2, UH scored five in the first inning but were unable to hold off the Highlanders as they rallied for seven runs to down the 'Bows 7-5 to even the series at a win apiece. For the doubleheader, Chloe Borges went 3-for-7 with seven RBI while reaching base safely for her 16th and 17th-straight games.
 
Hawai'i 8, UC Riverside 5
Hawai'i found themselves trailing 4-0 after the first two innings. But the 'Bows fought back, rallying for seven unanswered runs to overtake the Highlanders for an 8-5 win in the first game of Friday's doubleheader.
 
UH's Addison Kostrencich earned her seventh complete-game win of the season to improve to 8-6 overall and 4-1 in the Big West. She gave up five runs—only one was earned—while spacing eight hits with a walk and a strikeout.
 
The Highlanders struck first, taking advantage of two early UH errors to score four runs in the first two innings.

In the fourth, the 'Bows offense started to get things going. Borges hit. Ball to the right-centerfield fence to drive in pinch runner Piper Neri all the way from first for UH's first run of the game.
 
Bethea led off the fifth frame with a solo home run to left to cut UH's deficit in half, down 4-2. Hawai'i kept things rolling as they loaded the bases. Dallas Millwood drew a walk to score one and Borges followed by driving in her second and third runs of the game with a single up the middle that scored pinch runners Keely Kai and Larissa Goshi to vault into a 5-4 lead.
 
The Highlanders had a runner at second in the fifth. The runner stole third, but on the play, the throw went to third but with a bunt attempt on, there was no one covering third which allowed the runner to score to knot the score at 5-5.
 
But the 'Bows responded right back. Izabella Martinez drilled an opposite-field double off the leftfield wall to drive in both Xiao Gin and Ka'ena Keliinoi to go back in front, 7-5.
 
In the top of the seventh, Bethea blasted her second solo home run of the game to extend UH's lead to 8-5. With her two homers on the day, she resumed the top spot in the Big West with nine home runs.
 
UC Riverside used three pitchers in the game. Briza Blanco started and threw the first four-and-two-thirds innings allowing five runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Alexis Galvan got an out to close the fifth inning, giving up a hit and a walk. Maddie Heinlin suffered the loss, giving up three runs on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
 
 
UC Riverside 7, Hawai'i 5
Hawai'i jumped out to a 5-0 lead right off the bat. UH loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Millwood drove a single off the pitcher to score Gin, Borges then followed by launching her first career grand slam. It marked the first grand slam for UH since Martinez hit one against UC Riverside last season on April 15, 2023.
 
The Highlanders got a run back in the second on a Gigi Araki sacrifice fly to right to score Alyssa Alano.
 
In the fourth, UH got the first out, but then UCR three-straight hits, the last coming from Bella Scozzola who drove in Jackie Allday on the hit plus an error. UCR kept things rolling, rallying for four more runs to leapfrog over UH into a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth. A walk loaded the bases with one out. UH got the second out on a pop out to right. Back-to-back Highlander hits by Jones and Witt drove in four more runs to give UCR a 6-5 lead. UH's Borges, who started the game in centerfield, re-entered the game in relief of Key-Annah Campbell-Pua. After yielding a walk, Borges got the final out with a flyout to center to end the rally.
 
UC Riverside added an insurance run in the fifth with a two-out, RBI single by Elise Nishimura that scored Allday from third for the 7-5 lead.
 
UH starter Key-Annah Campbell-Pua threw the first three-and-two-thirds innings. She allowed six runs on seven hits with two walks and a strikeouts. Borges threw an inning-and-a-third, giving up a run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. Millie Fidge threw the final inning. She did not allow a run, but allowed a hit with a walk and a strikeout.
 
UCR's starter Emma Falen was able to get one out in the first. She accounted for three runs on two hits with a walk. Brooke Perez then retired one batter, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk. Maddie Heinlin came into the game with two outs in the first inning. She shut down UH, throwing the final six-and-a-third innings. She blanked UH holding the 'Bows to just three hits with three strikeouts.
 
The series will conclude on Saturday with a single game starting at 10:00 a.m. HT.