SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i softball team (29-17, 15-9 Big West) split its doubleheader at Cal Poly on Saturday. UH fell in the first game, 6-2, but bounced back to shutout the Mustangs in the rubber game 5-0 to capture its sixth conference series of the season on Saturday at the Bob Janssen Field.
 
With the split, Hawai'i improved to 15-9 in the Big West to remain in a tie for third with CSUN. Cal State Fullerton remains in first at 18-5 with a game remaining this week at UC Riverside. UC Santa Barbara is in second place at. 15-7 with two games left on Sunday against UC Davis.
 
Cal Poly 6,  Hawai'i 2
Hawai'i got off to a fast start, posting a pair of runs in the first inning. Carys Murakami and Milan Ah Yat reached safely with one out singles. After a line out to short, Liliana Thomas drilled a double to left to score both Murakami and Ah Yat for the early 2-0 lead.
 
In the third, Cal Poly rallied for three runs to overtake the Rainbows. The Mustangs collected a pair of RBI singles by Maddy Bermudez and Mylina Garza plus a sacrifice fly by Julia Barnett that drove in Bermudez.
 
The Mustangs extended their lead to 6-2, adding another three runs on a pair of RBI-singles by A'Niya Byrd and Kiara Blanchard and a bases loaded walk to Barnett in the fourth.
 
Hawai'i tried to start a rally in the fifth, Izabella Martinez led off with a walk and after a fly out to right, Ah Yat singled to put runners at first and second. But Cal Poly then caught a flyout to right by Jamie McGaughey and the rightfielder threw to third to tag out pinch runner Kennedy Thompson for the inning ending double play.
 
In the sixth, UH loaded the bases with two outs, but a fly out to center ended the rally with the Mustangs escaping unscathed.
 
UH starter Addision Kostrencich suffered the loss, dropping her record to 12-10 overall. She gave up six runs on seven hits with a walk in 3.2 innings of work. Millie Fidge shut down Cal Poly for the final 2.1 innings, allowing just one hit with a strikeout.
 
Cal Poly's Kate Judy (5-16) earned the complete game win, allowing two runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
 
Hawai'i 5, Cal Poly 0
UH starter Macy Brandl earned her sixth complete game shutout of the season and improved to 15-6 overall. Brandl scatterd four hits with no walks and one strikeout in seven innings. She retired the first seven Mustangs in a row and the last 11-straight to end the game.
 
Hawai'i rallied on two outs In the second, Kolbi Kochi drew a drew a two-out walk and Cierra Yamamoto followed with a single to left-centerfield. Chloe Borges then smacked an opposite-field single down the first base line to drive in Kochi. Larissa Goshi kept things rolling with an RBI-single to right-center to drive home Yamamoto. Izabella Martinez then drove a double down the leftfield line to score both Borges and Goshi for an early 4-0 lead.
 
The 'Bows extended their lead to 5-0 on a two-out RBI single by Kochi that drove in Ah Yat in the third.
 
In the third, the Mustangs threatened to score by loading the bases with two outs, but a fly out to left ended the rally. And in the fourth, Cal Poly put two runners in scoring position with one out, but were left stranded after a ground out to short and a fly out to center snuffed out the rally.
 
Cal Poly's Paige Maier suffered the loss dropping her record to 2-7. She allowed five runs on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
 
Hawai'i return home for its final series of the season against UC San Diego (14-27, 7-15 Big West). The three game series will begin with a single game on Friday, May 2 at 6:00 p.m. Ht and end with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 3 starting at 2:00 p.m. HT. Head coach Bob Coolen will be honored after Friday night's game as he is retiring after 34 seasons at the helm of the Rainbow Wahine program. Saturday is Senior Day and the 'Bows will honor its five senirs—Chloe Borges, Addison Kostrencich, Izabella Martinez, Alyssa Nakagawa, and Liliana Thomas. All games will be played at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.