Parnaby, Rainbow Wahine finish off sweep

Bob Coolen wasn’t around to see the end of the University of Hawaii softball team’s game Sunday. By that time, though, the Rainbow Wahine were firmly in command of the series finale against Cal State Northridge and went on to complete the sweep with a 9-3 victory at Matador Diamond.

No. 20/23 UH pulled away from the Matadors with a six-run outburst in the top of the fourth inning and added two more runs in the sixth to claim the third game of their opening series of the Big West schedule.

Senior pitcher Kaia Parnaby earned her third complete-game win of the series and benefited from a UH attack that pounded out 11 hits, six going for extra bases.

Sophomore Leisha Li’ili’i homered in all three games this weekend, raising her season total to seven with a solo blast in the sixth inning on Sunday as UH improved to 25-7 overall and 3-0 in Big West play. CSUN fell to 14-21 and 0-3.

"I feel like (the series) was a big confidence boost, not only for me but for the team as well," Li’ili’i said. "Kaia pitched well all three games. It’s a good way to start our (Big West) season."

Li’ili’i went 5-for-9 with a double and three home runs and drove in five runs during the team’s stay in Northridge, Calif. She was also walked twice on Sunday, once intentionally, before coming up with two out and nobody on in the sixth.

"I knew they were going to pitch to me, so I had to hop on the next good pitch," Li’ili’i said of her last homer of the weekend.

UH also got production from the lower half of the order in the series. Senior Tara Anguiano was given a chance to start in the designated player spot in the last two games and delivered RBI singles in both.

Anguiano, a backup shortstop from Whittier, Calif., entered the series with two hits this season and went 3-for-7 over the weekend.

"She made an adjustment at the plate, she got a nice rope and drove in some runs," Coolen said.

"She’s been doing a nice job. She’s playing in front of her family, and that always provides a spark."

Anguiano’s single in the fourth inning scored the first run of UH’s fourth-inning rally. The Wahine went on to string together four hits with two out, extending their lead to 7-0 on Kelly Majam’s two-run double, Kayla Wartner’s RBI single, a triple by Keiki Carlos and a double by Jessica Iwata.

Carlos also had a productive series, going 2-for-5 with a double and triple on Sunday.

Parnaby finished with one strikeout while weathering another slew of illegal pitch calls — which results in a ball to the batter and advancing the runners — to raise her record to 23-3.

Coolen was ejected in the bottom of the fifth while arguing one of the calls and associate coach Dee Wisneski finished the game.