HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (1-0) blasted three home runs to help propel the Rainbow Wahine to a 7-2 win over Santa Clara on Thursday night to start the 2025 season and the Bank of Hawai'i Paradise Classic. Senior pitcher
Addison Kostrencich earned the complete game win while
Liliana Thomas,
Jamie McGaughey and Kayara Tuiloma provided the power as all three recorded their first home runs as Rainbow Wahine.
In the bottom of the first inning, Thomas, a senior transfer from Arizona State and Loyola Marymount, blasted a solo shot over the leftfield fence to give UH an early 1-0 lead.
Santa Clara responded in the top of the second as Cairah Curran laced a double to the rightfield fence that drove in a pair of runs to overtake UH on the scoreboard, 2-1.
With runners at second and third in the bottom of the second, UH's
Carys Murakami grounded out to first unassisted, but on the play
Chloe Borges slid home safely avoiding the throw to knot the score at 2-2.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, UH rightfielder Tuiloma, a freshman out of Kapolei High School, cranked a solo home run to straightaway center to push UH into the lead, 3-2.
Hawai'i then tacked on four runs in the sixth to extend their lead to 7-2. Sophomore first baseman
Jamie McGaughey led off the frame by launching a home run over the centerfield fence. Later with two on, Murakami lifted a ground rule double to center to score both
Chloe Borges and
Milan Ah Yat. Tuiloma capped the scoring with an RBI single to drive in Murakami for UH's final run.
Kostrencich gave up two runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts en route to her first win of the season.
Santa Clara's Hannah Edwards took the loos allowing three runs on five hits in 4-2/3 innings of work. Avery Seva threw the final 1-1/3 innings. She allowed four runs on four hits with a strikeout.
The Bank of Hawai'i Paradise Classic continues on Thursday. Hawai'i will play the final two games of the day. First the 'Bows will take on Saint Louis at 5:00 p.m. HT followed by Southern Indiana at 7:00 p.m. HT.
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