OREM, Utah—The University of Hawai’i softball team (31-3, 5-1 WAC) defeated Utah Valley 6-1 at Wolverine Field on Wednesday night. Hawai’i pitcher Kaia Parnaby earned her 12th win with her 13th complete game of the season. The Rainbow Wahine loaded
OREM, Utah—The University of Hawai’i softball team (31-3, 5-1 WAC) defeated Utah Valley 6-1 at Wolverine Field on Wednesday night. Hawai’i pitcher Kaia Parnaby earned her 12th win with her 13th complete game of the season.
The Rainbow Wahine loaded the bases in the top of the first inning after Kayla Wartner, Sarah Robinson, and Jessica Iwata all walked. Alexandra Aguirre was then plunked to force Wartner across the plate with one out for an early 1-0 lead. Wolverines’ starter Tiffany Mills settled down to get the last two outs on an infield pop-up and line out to centerfield.
Utah Valley tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. Marie Williams drew a one-out walk, then stole second after a strike out and moved to third on a wild pitch. Williams then scored on an RBI single by Deianna Russell to right. It was just the second first inning run allowed up by UH this season.
The Bows went ahead, 2-1 in the top of the second. Brynne Buchanan started the rally with a one-out single up the middle. Both Kelly Majam and Wartner walked to load the bases for the second straight inning. Robinson then hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Wartner at second by allowed Buchanan to score UH’s second run.
Hawai’i scored two runs in the top of the fourth. Majam led the inning off with a walk and moved to third on a single to right by Wartner. Robinson then hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Majam. Later, Aguirre came through with an RBI single up the middle to score pinch runner Rachel Paragas from second.
The ‘Bows posted another run in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Jessica Iwata that scored Jordan Burton, who was pinch running for Majam who had singled to start the inning. The run gave UH a 5-1 lead after five-and-a-half innings.
UH tacked on one more run in the seventh on an RBI-single by Burton that scored pinch hitter Jocelyn Enrique from second to give UH a 6-1 lead with half an inning to play.
Hawai’i out-hit the Wolverines, 7-to-3, but stranded 12 runners on base to Utah Valley’s 3.
Parnaby (12-1, 1-1 WAC) threw 7.0 innings, giving up one run with two walks and 10 strike outs.
Utah Valley’s Mills threw 6.2 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits with 11 walks and two strike outs. Cassie Herrera came in and got the last out on a pop up to second.
For UH, it was their final non-conference game of the season. The ‘Bows went 26-2 in non-conference games this season. Hawai’i will close its second roadtrip of the year with a three-game WAC series at BYU in Provo, Utah. The two teams square off in a single game on Friday at 6 p.m., with a doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
