Kaia Parnaby returned to familiar ground with a face from home pitching against her Wednesday night.

Parnaby won a duel of Australian pitchers as the University of Hawaii softball team picked up a 5-1 win over Memphis in its return to Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Parnaby had played with and against Memphis junior Ellen Roberts growing up in Australia and earned the complete-game win while striking out seven and allowing five hits and two walks for the No. 20/22 Rainbow Wahine (9-4).

“We played club, state and association together and she’s always been on my team, so it’s kind of weird to face her,” Parnaby said.

“We kind of had a gut instinct (that they’d face each other), but we didn’t want to say anything before the game. It was fun, it was the first serious game I’ve played against her in about three or four years, so it was kind of nice.”

Roberts also went the distance and took the loss after striking out nine and walking seven. UH’s Leisha Li‘ili‘i and Kayla Wartner helped power the offense with solo home runs and the Rainbow Wahine opened a hectic three-week stretch with a win.

“It’s a big feather in our cap because it’s one of 21,” UH head coach Bob Coolen said. “That’s all I told my players at end the game, one. They know what’s ahead of them, the task at hand, 21 games in 24 days before we get a little break.”

The Wahine had gone 10 days between games and 18 since they last took the field at home. They accomplished dual goals in working off some rust while picking up the win over the Tigers (5-9).

Li‘ili‘i entered Wednesday’s game hitting .310 with four doubles before slamming her first home run of the season to left field in the bottom of the second. As the third left-hander in the batting order, Li‘ili‘i’s attentiveness in the dugout contributed to her opposite-field shot.

“Studying Kelly (Majam’s) at-bat and Kayla (Wartner’s) at-bat, they were going outside so I was telling myself to be ready for the outside,” Li‘ili‘i said.

UH took a 2-0 lead when Wartner drew a bases-loaded walk, and Memphis scored its lone run on one of Parnaby’s strikeouts when Lelani Bernardino came home on a wild pitch on a swinging third strike to Jaye Smith in the top of the third.

Wartner led off the bottom of the fifth with her third home run of the season, and the Wahine pulled away with a two-out, two-run rally in the sixth. Keiki Carlos’ second double of the game scored pinch runner Tara Anguiano, and Jessica Iwata followed with an RBI single to right.

Memphis put two runners on base with one out in the seventh, but Parnaby ended the game with a strikeout and a pop-up.

“It’s going to be a long month and just opening up with a win sets us up for the tournament ahead,” Parnaby said.

The Rainbow Wahine face Western Kentucky to open the Bank of Hawaii Invitational at 6 p.m. Friday.

They play Campbell and Memphis in a Saturday doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. The tournament concludes with bracket play on Sunday.

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
Memphis (5-9)    001    000    0    —    1    5    2
Hawaii     (9-4)    020    012    x    —    5    7    2
Ellen Roberts and Amber Lindahl. Kaia Parnaby and Kayla Wartner. W—Parnaby. L—Roberts.
Leading hitters—Memphis: Lelani Bernardino, 2-4. Hawaii: Kayla Wartner, HR, 2 RBI; Keiki Carlos, 2-4, 2 2B, RBI; Jessica Iwata, 2-4, RBI; Leisha Li‘ili‘i, HR.