BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (23-14, 9-6 Big West) opened this week's series with a 9-0, five inning shutout at Cal State Bakersfield (15-23, 6-10 Big West) on Friday at the Roadrunner Softball Complex. Hawai'i starter
Macy Brandle earned her fifth complete game shutout of the season, while the UH offense rallied for seven runs in the third and two more in the fourth en route to the team's third mercy rule win of the season.
Brandl scattered seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts to improve to 11-5 overall. Although the Roadrunners were able to get at least one runner on base in every inning, the UH defense came through with some solid plays to snuff out the 'Runners' rallies.
UH batted around the order and broke open the scoreless game scoring seven runs in the top of the third.
Chloe Borges led off by blasting a first pitch, solo home run over the left-centerfield fence. It marked Borges' fourth homer of the season and 15
th of the senior's career. UH went on to load the bases. Back-to-back singles by
Larissa Goshi and
Izabella Martinez put runners at first and second.
Carys Murakami moved both runners into scoring position with her team-leading sixth sac bunt of the season.
Milan Ah Yat then drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases with 'Bows.. With one out,
Jamie McGaughey and
Liliana Thomas both drilled RBI singles to score Goshi and pinch-runner
Maya Ichimura respectively.
Cierra Yamamoto and Borges followed by drawing bases loaded walks to extend UH's lead to 5-0. Goshi then picked up her second hit of the inning, lacing a double to the left-center gap to drive in Thomas and Yamamoto to give UH a 7-0 lead.
In the fourth, UH added two more runs as pinch-hitter
Kolbi Kochi ripped a sinlge to left as pinch-runner
Nevaeh Telles slid in just ahead of the tag at home plate. Yamamoto followed with a single to left that scored McGaughey from third as UH took a 9-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Roadrunners had runners on first and second with one out. UH got a fly out to center for the second out. Then Mariana Narvaiz hit a single to center. On the play, UH centerfielder Borges came up firing home, gunning out pinch-runner Aariana Harrison by a couple of steps to Martinez at the plate to end the rally.
CSUB starter Maya Ramirez took the loss, dropping her record to 2-5 overall. She allowed six runs on six hits with a walk. Reliever Bailee Bustos threw the final two-and-two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout.
UH and CSUB will conclude their three-game Big West series with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 12 starting at 9:00 a.m. HT at the Roadrunner Softball Complex.
#HawaiiSB
