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The University of Hawaii softball team had its 13-game winning streak snapped in today’s series finale against Cal State Fullerton as the Titans upset the Rainbow Wahine 11-3 in five innings in Fullerton, Calif.
Cal State Fullerton (17-25, 4-8 Big West) pounded out 12 hits and took advantage of five UH errors in handing No. 15/20 UH (33-8, 11-1) its first Big West loss of the season.
Gabby Aragon gave Cal State Fullerton the lead with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning and the Titans pulled away with a five-run third inning. Cal State Fullerton brought the eight-run rule into effect in the fifth on a two-run single by Ariel Tsuchiyama, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
UH senior Kaia Parnaby gave up a season-high nine runs, five earned, on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings and took her first loss since March 14. Parnaby (30-4) had won her previous 13 decisions, including both games of UH’s doubleheader sweep on Saturday. Freshman Loie Kesterson gave up two runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings of relief.
After Cal State Fullerton jumped ahead 3-0 on Aragon’s homer in the first, UH answered with Sharla Kliebenstein’s two-run home run in the top of the second.
The Titans scored on an error in the bottom of the second and UH closed to 4-3 in the third when Kelly Majam hit her 15th home run of the season.
But Cal State Fullerton broke away again with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Eliza Crawford opened the rally with an RBI triple and Aragon followed with a double. Aragon later scored on an illegal pitch called on Parnaby and Tsuchiyama added an RBI single.
UH continues its road trip with a nonconference game at Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday. The Rainbow Wahine resume Big West play with a three-game series at Cal Poly starting Friday.
