HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (26-15) split their Saturday doubleheader against UC Santa Barbara.
Milan Ah Yat's solo home run in the sixth clinched the first game 4-3 to extend UH's season-long win streak to six. UH starting pitcher
Macy Brandl earned the complete game win. But in the second game, the Gauchos held off the 'Bows, 5-3 to record the split at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
With Saturday's doubleheader split, UH is currently tied for third place with CSUN at 12-7. UCSB is now in second with a 14-6 conference mark while Cal State Fullerton remains in first place at 16-5.
Hawai'i 4, UC Santa Barbara 3
Sophomore pitcher
Macy Brandl allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in the complete game win to improve to 13-5 overall. It marked Brandl's fifth straight win in her 11
th complete game of the season.
Hawai'i's
Izabella Martinez broke the scoreless game with an opposite-field, two-run home run over the leftfield fence to drive in
Larissa Goshi who had reached on a fielder's choice. For Martinez, it marked her first homer of her senior season and the 10
th of her career.
The Gauchos got one run back in the top of the fourth as Ainsley Waddell hit a solo home run to center. UCSB trailed, 2-1.
UCSB loaded the bases with one out to start the fourth. But Brandl and the 'Bows' defense got a pop-out to second and a strikeout looking to thwart the Gauchos rally.
In the fifth, Martinez struck again drilling an RBI-single that drove in Borges from second to extend UH's lead to 3-0.
In the top of the sixth, the Gauchos' Banks hit a two-run home run in the sixth to tie the score at 3-3.
Milan Ah Yat led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to left. It marked her fifth homer of the season for the sophomore shortstop.
Malaya Johnson took the loss, dropping her overall record to 14-8. She allowed four runs on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
UC Santa Barbara 5, Hawai'i 3
The Gauchos' Bella Fuentes hit an RBI-double to right-centerfield to drove in
Delaina Ma'ae for a 1-0 lead In the second frame.
UH leftfielder
Cierra Yamamoto led off the third inning with a single through the leftside of the infield. Borges then drew a walk to put runners at first and second.
Larissa Goshi then drove a single up the middle to drive in Yamamoto from second. Later with two outs and runners at first and second,
Carys Murakami ripped a single down the leftfield line to score Goshi to take a 2-1 lead.
The Gauchos scored four runs in the fifth to leapfrog past the 'Bows. Two runs came on Waddell's two-run homer to right. Later, Fuentes hit a two-RBI single to give UCSB a 5-2 lead and end UH starter Addison Kostrenchich's day. UH reliever Millie Fidge then entered and got a strikeout and a foul fly out to Martinez behind the plate for to snuff out the rally.
Hawai'i got one run back in the sixth as Borges lined a single off the first baseman allowing
Liliana Thomas to score to cut their deficit to 5-3. But the 'Bows were unable to cross the plate again. UH had two runners on with one out, but UCSB got a strike out and a fielder's chouice to end the game.
Hawai'i's
Addison Kostrencich took the loss, dropping her record to 11-10 overall. She threw the first 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout. Fidge shut out the Gauchos for threw the final 2.2 innings. She gave up two hits with two walks and a strikeout.
UCSB's Ava Bradford earned the win, throwing 5.0 innings. She allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Sam Stoll threw the next 1.1 innings, giving up a run on three hits with a walk. Johnson, who threw a complete game to start the doubleheader, closed the game by earning the save, getting the final two outs with a strikeout.
The Rainbow Wahine will head to Southern California to first play a single game at CSUN on Wednesday, April 23 at 9:00 a.m. HT. This is the make up game that was rained out in Northridge on March 14
th. Hawai'i will then head up the coast for a three game series at Cal Poly. The Rainbow Wahine and Mustangs will square off in a single game on Friday, April 25 at 2:00 p.m. HT followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11:00 a.m. HT.
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