HONOLULU — University of Hawai'i outfielder Mya'Liah Bethea launched home runs in both games of Saturday's Big West doubleheader with CSU Bakersfield to help the Rainbow Wahine softball team complete a series sweep of the Roadrunners.
 
Bethea belted a two-run homer in the fourth inning of UH's 7-2 win in the first game of the afternoon at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The senior added another two-run shot in the second inning of the finale to help power the 'Bows (18-19, 11-5 Big West) to an 8-4 win and their second series sweep of the conference season.
 
Bethea opened the series with a grand slam on Friday and went 6-for-9 in the series with three homers and eight RBI and raised her Big West-leading home run total to 12.
 
UH catcher Izabella Martinez posted two hits in both games on Saturday and drove in three runs in the opener. She matched Bethea in going 6-for-9 for the series and drove in six runs over the weekend.
 
The Rainbow Wahine have won five of their last six games to move into fourth place in the Big West race, just behind Long Beach State (13-4) and Cal Poly (12-4) who trail leader Cal State Fullerton (15-2). They'll next head to Southern California for a series at Long Beach State on April 26 and 27. CSU Bakersfield fell to 4-36 overall and 2-16 in conference play.
 
Game 1
Hawai'i 7, CSU Bakersfield 2
Bethea and Martinez combined to drive in five runs of UH's seven runs in Saturday's opener and the Rainbow Wahine clinched their third series win of the Big West schedule.
 
Bethea drilled a line-drive over the center-field fence for a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning to give UH a 4-1 lead.
 
Martinez capped the scoring in the sixth with a two-run opposite-field double to left field to give reliever Chloe Borges a five-run cushion going into the seventh.
 
UH starter Key-Annah Campbell-Pua held CSUB to two runs on seven hits through 4 2/3 innings and picked up the win. Borges threw 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn her second save of the season. Both worked out of trouble on multiple occasions and stranded 10 CSUB runners on base. The duo induced 11 groundball outs with five going to third baseman Ka'ena Keliinoi.
 
Game 2
Hawai'i 8, CSU Bakersfield 4
The Rainbow Wahine peppered CSUB pitching for 12 hits in support of Addison Kostrencich, who posted her fourth consecutive complete-game victory in the series finale.
 
UH broke on top with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the second before CSUB recorded an out. The 'Bows scored on Borges' RBI single and a CSUB throwing error on a pickoff attempt. Bethea then lifted a flyball to left field that cleared the fence just inside the foul pole for her second homer of the day and third of the series.
   
The 'Bows put together a three-run rally in the bottom of the fourth capped by Haley Johnson's RBI triple into the left-field corner to score Martinez from first.
   
CSUB put together a three-run rally in the top of the seventh, but Kostrencich, who scattered 10 hits, finished off the victory to improve to 11-6 this season.