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UH softball team captures Bank of Hawaii Invitational title

JAMM AQUINO/JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii's Kelly Majam

The University of Hawaii softball team claimed the Bank of Hawaii Invitational title with a 3-0 win over Western Kentucky University today at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

UH shortstop Jessica Iwata provided all of the game’s scoring with a three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning and Kaia Parnaby earned her second complete-game victory of the day in the tournament’s championship game.

The No. 20/22 Rainbow Wahine advanced to the title game with a 5-1 victory over Memphis earlier in the afternoon, avenging a shutout loss to the Tigers on Saturday.

Memphis starter Jordan Richwood threw five shutout innings and allowed one hit in the Tigers’ 5-0 win over UH and got the start again today. The Wahine broke through against her in the second inning when Jazmine Zamora drilled a two-out, two-run double into the left-center gap.

Kelly Majam led off the third inning by hitting the 60th home run of her UH career and sixth of the season.

UH’s lead grew to 5-0 when Keiki Carlos lined a two-run double into the gap in the fourth inning.

Memphis scored its lone run in the sixth with the aid of two UH errors, but Parnaby finished out the complete-game victory. Parnaby gave up five hits, struck out eight and walked none.

WKU defeated Campbell 8-5 to join UH in the title game and Parnaby and WKU starter Mallorie Sulaski took shutouts into the sixth inning.

Kayla Wartner led off the inning with a sharp grounder that got past the WKU first baseman and Carlos followed with a walk. Iwata then launched her second home run of the season to give UH the lead.

UH, the designated visiting team, got out of the bottom of the sixth when Majam caught a line drive in center field and threw the runner out at first for an inning-ending double play.

Parnaby (11-2) gave up a hit in the seventh but retired the next three hitters to close out the win. She struck out seven and walked one while holding WKU to three hits.

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