Buckle up for a possible season to remember!

The Rainbow Wāhine Softball Team began their home conference season with a convincing 11-2 win over the Cal State Northridge Matadors in five innings at Rainbow Wāhine Softball Stadium on Friday.

Northridge wasted no time and got on the board first with back-to-back home runs from Shaylan Whatman and Lulu Sanchez. Ultimately, Northridge would never score again.

When UH had their turn, they were ready. In the bottom of the first, Haley Johnson juiced an RBI single that drove in teammate Kaʻena Keliinoi. A Dallas Millwood RBI walk allowed Izabella Martinez to even the score at two, and UH was not done yet.

"Hitting's contagious," Johnson said. "Momentum is contagious; once you get it going, you can't stop!"

Chloe Borges hit an RBI single next, which drove in Maya Nakamura and Johnson. Just like that, UH was in front, 4-2. Mya'Liah Bethea was the next one to hit an RBI single, which drove in Millwood. At the end of the first, it was UH in front, 5-2.

"We have such amazing girls, and we always pull through when we come together," Johnson said.

In the second, Keliinoi added another run via a Millwood RBI single.

In the third, Maycen Gibbs added another run on a wild pitch to make it 7-2 UH.

Nakamura and Bethea cemented the win with back-to-back double home runs in the fourth. Nakamura's homer drove in teammate Piper Neri, and Bethea's drove in Borges. UH was so far ahead, 11-2, Northridge needed multiple miracles to keep their hopes alive.

Northridge came up empty in the fifth inning, and the game was over via the mercy rule.

UH improves to 2-2 in Big West Conference play and 9-16 overall.

UH and CSUN will return to the diamond in a doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 23. The first game is scheduled for 2 p.m. HST, and the second game is scheduled for 4 p.m. HST.