Whether taking hits or dishing them out, University of Hawaii senior Alex Aguirre is finding ways to contribute to the Rainbow Wahine softball team’s offense.

Aguirre, among the nation’s leaders in being hit by pitches, took two more for the team in UH’s 6-1 nonconference road win over Utah Valley on Wednesday to edge closer to a school record.

Her first hit-by-pitch drove in UH’s first run of the game and she later delivered an RBI single to help the No. 15/19 Wahine (31-3) open up some breathing room as they remained perfect through five games of an eight-game road trip.

Alex Aguirre:
Among the national
leaders in being hit
by pitches

“It’s definitely about doing whatever I can to help the team,” Aguirre said following the win in Orem, Utah. “Anyway I can get on, I’ll take it.”

UH is based in Provo, Utah, for the week and will resume the Western Athletic Conference season with a three-game series at Brigham Young starting Friday.

After hitting three home runs in Tuesday’s win over Utah, UH relied on seven singles, 11 walks and Aguirre’s two hit by pitches to provide support for pitcher Kaia Parnaby. The junior left-hander held Utah Valley (20-12-1) to three hits while striking out 10 and walking two in a complete-game victory that raised her record to 12-1.

Aguirre entered the week second in the country in being hit by pitches at 0.5 per game.

She’s taken three more since then and is two away from tying the UH career record of 44 set by Kanani Pu‘u-Warren in 2010.

After UH drew three walks in the top of the first inning, Aguirre was hit for the 18th time this season to bring in Kayla Wartner with the game’s first run.

“It happens a lot,” said Aguirre, who was also hit in the third. “I’ve always been taught to move forward and I guess I have a magnet.”

Utah Valley answered with a single run in the bottom of the first, but UH moved ahead on Sarah Robinson’s RBI fielder’s choice in the second and sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Aguirre added to the lead later in the fourth with an RBI single.

“I’m seeing the ball a lot better and I’m making better contact,” said Aguirre, who was hitting .203 at the start of the trip but has two home runs and four RBIs during UH’s mainland stay. “Sometimes you get in a groove where it’s just not happening and I think I just needed a change of pace.”

Jessica Iwata drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and freshman Jordan Burton came off the bench to deliver a run-scoring single in the seventh, the first hit and RBI of her career.