With the bats going quiet for most of the night, defense and baserunning provided the spark the University of Hawaii softball team needed on Friday.

No. 17 UH managed just one hit off San Jose State ace Amanda Pridmore, but the Wahine found ways to scratch out runs and their defense complemented another strong pitching performance in a 4-1 victory over the Spartans to open the Western Athletic Conference season.

“It may not have been that pretty, but we’ll take a win whenever we can get it,” UH left fielder Alex Aguirre said.

Pridmore struck out nine and limited UH (25-2) to a lone single. But the Wahine scratched out four runs on a stolen base, a bases-loaded walk and a two-run groundout to third base in support of pitcher Stephanie Ricketts.

Ricketts (15-2) gave up six hits, struck out six and walked two and got help from a defense that entered the game first among WAC teams and 16th nationally in fielding percentage.

Kelly Majam made a diving catch in center field and shortstop Jessica Iwata, second baseman Dara Pagaduan and third baseman Sarah Robinson all came up with tough plays in the infield, with first baseman Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu picking a couple of throws out of the dirt.

“Defensively we’re making plays,” UH head coach Bob Coolen said. “Everyone looks past our defense. We’re always talking about our offense, we’re always talking about our pitching, but we never talk about how well the defense keeps us in ballgames.”

“It’s great that it’s coming from everyone,” Ricketts said. “It’s really reassuring as a pitcher that I can let them hit the ball on the ground and they still get outs. … They’re working for me and I need to work for them.”

The UH offense didn’t give itself many chances against Pridmore, but converted its opportunities into runs.

Majam drew the first of two UH walks in the bottom of the first inning and eventually scored from third on a two-out double steal.

Pridmore held UH hitless through three innings before Iwata singled to left in the fourth with a runner on base. Aguirre was hit by a pitch and Sharla Kliebenstein drew a bases-loaded walk to give UH a 2-0 lead.

Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu then tapped a routine grounder to third baseman Annica Wolfe to score Iwata from third. Aguirre then raced around from second on the throw to first to push the lead to 4-0.

“There was only one out, so with the bases loaded I’m taking a pretty big lead at second,” Aguirre said. “As soon as I saw it hit slowly I knew I’d already be on third and I was just waiting and waiting for her to throw it.”

Said Coolen: “Alex came ’round third base faster than I thought; she was going to score no matter what. … That’s something as a veteran you get comfortable with that, knowing this is either going to make or break this inning.”

SJSU broke through on Britney Helm’s two-out infield single in the top of the sixth, but Ricketts didn’t allow the Spartans (16-17) to get any closer.

The series concludes today with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.