HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i softball team (7-9) returned home to sweep its OUTRIGGER Classic opening doubleheader on Friday. The Rainbow Wahine first pulled away to defeat Mercyhurst, 8-0 in five innings, then held off Portland State in eight innings, 6-5 at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Hawai'i 8, Mercyhurst 0 (5 innings)
Hawai'i starter Macy Brandl fired a complete-game, one-hit shutout to improve to 2-0 this season. She did not issue a walk while striking out a season-high five. Brandl retired the first seven batters in order before giving up one hit, then retired the last eight consecutive hitters.
 
The 'Bows jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first. UH had runners on first and second as Maycen Gibbs laid down a bunt to third, but on the play, a throwing error from third allowed Carys Murkami to score from second. Jamie McGaughey then hit an RBI-groundout to second that scored Rhea Furtado from third. Later, with runners at the corners and one out, Gibbs scored on a double steal attempt to give UH a 3-0 lead.
 
The 'Bows added two runs in the second on an error off a Kayara Tuiloma grounder to short that scored Briana Maio-Silva. Later, Bailey Nagasako drew a bases loaded walk to drive home Muraami.
 
Hawai'i posted one run in the fourth on a Nagasako RBI-double that drove in Ellyanna Cinzori to extend UH's lead to 6-0.
 
In the fifth, with runners at the corners, Cierra Yamamoto drew the throw at second, allowing Maio-Silva to score from third. With Yamamoto at third, Murakami lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Yamamoto for the walk off run, ending the mercy-rule game.
 
Mercyhurst's starting pitcher Alexa North took the loss, throwing 4.1 total innings, allowing seven runs on six hits with six walks and a strikeout. Alana Stuart made a brief appearance in the fifth, before North re-entered in the circle. Stuart did not retire any Rainbow Wahine but gave up a walk and a run.
 
Hawai'i 4, Portland State 3 (8 innings)
After defeating the Lakers in five innings, it took extra innings to down Portland State.
 
The Vikings got on the scoreboard first, as Breanna Lutz laid down a bunt single on which the throw from first sailed past the covering second baseman which allowed the runner at first, Grace Johnson, to score all the way from first for the early 1-0 lead.
 
In the third, Hawai'i leapfrogged over the Vikings, rallying on two outs to score three runs. Murakami reached on a two-out single up the middle to start the rally. After stealing second, Furtado drove her in with an RBI-single to knot the score at 1-1. Gibbs followed by blasting her team-leading third home run of the season to score Furtado and give UH a 3-0 lead.
 
The 'Bows extended their lead to 4-1 in the fourth on a solo home run by Milan Ah Yat. It marked her first homer of the season.
 
The Vikings scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth on an RBI-single by Nichole Orozco followed by a throwing error to second that allowed Lutz to score from third.
 
Hawai'i's McGaughey led off the sixth with a solo home run that gave UH a little wiggle room at 5-3. McGaughey's round-tripper tied Gibbs for the team lead with three homers.
 
The Vikings started the seventh with a pair of base hits off reliever Millie Fidge. Both runners came around to score off a fielding error with two outs hit to second base that tie the score at 5-5.
 
PSU loaded the bases with just one out in the eighth inning, but the 'Bows escaped with a fielder's choice out from short to home. Hawai'i got the final out on a ground out to short.
 
With the international tie breaker rules in effect for the non-conference tournament, UH speedster Furtado was the ghost runner starting at second in the eighth. She moved to third on a ground out to second by Gibbs. McGaughey followed with a grounder hit to short. Furtado broke home on the hit and scored as the shortstop committed a fielding error.
 
Hawai'i's Hannah Pitts improve her record to 2-3 overall. She started and re-entered to finish the game to earn the win. Pitts threw 6.2 total innings, allowing three runs on eight hits with zero walks and three strikeouts. Millie Fidge entered in the seventh inning, but allowed two  unearned runs on two hits with two walks and a strikeout. Pitts re-entered the game with the bases full of Vikings with one out and was able to induce a fielder's choice and ground out to short.
 
PSU's Sherrel Nakoa-Chung threw 7.0 total innings and took the loss giving up five runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Giselle Pantoja got one out and allowed one run.

The OUTRIGGER Classic concludes on Saturday. After Mercyhurst and Portland State square off at 10:00 a.m. HT, Hawai'i will take on Portland State at 12:30 p.m. HT followed by Mercyhurst at 3:00 p.m. HT at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.