Hawaiʻi softball splits doubleheader with UC Santa Barbara
'Bows softball sees six-game streak snapped with doubleheader split
One is better than none.
After inclement weather caused a rain out of Friday's game, the Rainbow Wāhine Softball team managed to split its doubleheader with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Saturday with a 4-3 win in game one, and a 5-3 loss in game two at Rainbow Wāhine Softball Stadium.
Game #1 (4-3 UH):
After two scoreless innings, Izabella Martinez put UH on the board first with a double home run to left field that brought in Larissa Goshi for an early 2-0 lead.
UCSB would get on the board an inning later with a solo home run via Ainsley Waddell in the fourth, but UH found an answer somewhere.
After coming up empty when it was their turn, Martinez whacked an RBI single to left field that was enough to bring in Chloe Borges to put UH back in the lead.
In the sixth, Santa Barbara's Tehya Banks would hit a double home run to left field to bring in teammate Daryn Siegel and tie the score at 3-3. Santa Barbara could not get another runner on base after Emily Carr was grounded out.
UH would ultimately retake the lead when Milan Ah-Yat blasted a solo home run to left field when it was their turn.
UCSB had one last chance to cause an upset when they got two runners on second and third base; however, UH shut the door with two fly outs for the final arithmetic.
Game #2 (5-3, UCSB):
After a scoreless first inning, UCSB drew first blood in the second via a Bella Fuentes RBI double that brought in teammate Delaina Ma'ae for the early 1-0 lead.
In the third, UH got on the board via a Goshi RBI single that was enough to bring in Cierra Yamamoto and tie the score. Carys Murakami kept the fire burning with an RBI single down left field that was enough to bring in Goshi and put UH in the lead, 2-1.
After a scoreless fourth inning, UCSB seized control with four runs in the fifth inning that started with a Waddell double home run. Fuentes added two more runs with an RBI single that brought in teammates Banks and Ma'ae.
UH tried to rally in the final two innings, but they were ultimately held to a single run from Liliana Thomas via a Borges RBI single in the sixth. They had one last chance in the seventh when they got two runners on base. A home run would have done the trick, but Jamie McGaughey struck out, and pinch runner Sunni Kahanu got tagged out at second base off a Thomas fielder's choice.
UH improves to 26-15 overall, but a doubleheader sweep would have moved them up to second place in the Big West standings; unfortunately, UH fell into a tie for third at 12-7 with Northridge instead.
UH will hit the road for a Wednesday matchup at Cal State Northridge at 9 a.m. HST before travelling to Cal Poly for a three-game series in San Luis Obispo. They will begin with a single game on Friday, Apr. 25 at 2 p.m. HST and follow it up with a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 26 at 1:30 p.m. HST.