One down, eight to go.

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In the beginning of a tough nine-game final stretch, the Rainbow Wāhine Softball team used a lively fourth inning to defeat Long Beach State, 7-3, at Rainbow Wāhine Softball Stadium on Friday.

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After a scoreless first inning, the Wāhine drew first blood via a solo home run from Cira Bartolotti in the second inning.

 

Maya Nakamura belted a solo homer herself in the third inning, and Hawaiʻi found themselves up 2-0 early.

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Long Beach State got on the board in the fourth inning via a triple home run from Mikayla Ceballos. That allowed Makayla Medellin and Jacquelyn Bickar to score as well. That put Long Beach up in front, 3-2.

 

Hawaiʻi responded when it was their turn. That started with a Mya'Liah Bethea solo home run to tie things up. The 'Bows then loaded the bases and took the lead when Xiao Gin got hit by a pitch, allowing Maycen Gibbs to score. Nakamura then belted an RBI single to right field that allowed Cierra Yamamoto to score next, and they were not done yet.

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Haley Johnson made the lead bigger via an RBI double; that double allowed Gin and Kaʻena Keliinoi to score as well. Nakamura could not make it a proverbial trifecta, as she was tagged out at home plate. What was once a 3-2 deficit for Hawaiʻi turned into a 7-3 lead.

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Long Beach State could not put together one more run after that fourth inning, but neither did Hawaiʻi. It would remain 7-3 for the final three innings.

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Hawaiʻi's win puts them at 12-7 in Big West play and 29-16 overall. They now stand alone in third place in the conference standings after UC Davis split a doubleheader with UC Santa Barbara, winning 5-4, and losing 12-5, on the road earlier this week.

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The 'Bows will return to the diamond on Saturday, Apr. 29 against Long Beach State in a doubleheader at Rainbow Wāhine Softball Stadium starting at 2 p.m. HST and 4 p.m. HST. Both games will be televised on Spectrum Sports and heard on the radio at CBS 1500.