On Military Appreciation Day, the University of Hawaii softball team put on an impressive show of power in completing a sweep of UC Riverside.

The Rainbow Wahine hit four home runs in the first inning of a 12-2 win in the first game of Saturday’s Big West doubleheader, then launched five more homers in an 8-1 victory in the series finale.

"It’s definitely a statement weekend for us," said senior center fielder Kelly Majam, who hit leadoff homers in both games of the doubleheader.

No. 16/21 UH (31-7, 9-0 BWC) extended its winning streak to 11 and pushed coach Bob Coolen past another milestone, giving him win Nos. 900 and 901 in his career. Coolen, who began his career in 1985 at Bentley College, passed the 800-win mark in his UH tenure earlier this season and is 901-555-1 overall.

"I’ve been around a while," Coolen said. "I’m glad different teams get to experience this. … It’s just very special that they can celebrate it."

UH pitcher Kaia Parnaby also continued her climb up UH’s record charts. She earned both wins to improve to 28-3 and moved four wins away from the program’s single-season record. She struck out six to raise her season total to 265, the second most in school history.

Coolen reached win No. 899 with Friday’s 16-0 win in the series opener and wondered if the Wahine would sustain their focus going into the doubleheader.

"That’s why I came to the ballpark with a lot of anticipation and anxiety," Coolen said.

The Wahine eased any trepidation by scoring 12 runs in the first inning of the opener. Majam’s home run into the batting cages beyond right field began a parade of 16 batters in the inning and UH scored nine runs before UC Riverside recorded its first out.

"It was really cool we were able to come out of the gates firing in each game," Majam said. "We didn’t get an out until like the 11th batter of the inning. I don’t know if I’ve ever been a part of that before."

Jessica Iwata hit a three-run homer — the 50th of her career — Sharla Kliebenstein launched a grand slam and Leisha Li‘ili‘i hit a two-run shot to center in her second plate appearance of the inning.

Majam again homered to lead off the bottom of the first in the second game, this time going the opposite way to left field. Kayla Wartner followed with her second homer of the series and Iwata, who entered the doubleheader with two home runs this season, hit her second of the day to give UH a 3-0 lead.

"I kind of had to go back to basics," said Iwata, who went 7-for-10 in the three-game series and drove in five runs. "I’ve been struggling a bit and my shoulder’s been bothering me, but I just took it back to basics and told myself to see the ball and hit it."

Kliebenstein also homered twice in the doubleheader, adding a two-run shot in UH’s four-run third inning. Junior third baseman Kaile Nakao capped the power surge by hitting the first home run of her career in the fifth.

"I think that was the most exciting one this weekend," Majam said. "Her first of her career, it’s awesome."

Over three games with the Highlanders (15-24, 0-9), UH thrived in the first inning, scoring 23 runs on 18 hits with eight home runs.

UH raised its team batting average 19 points to .276 while hitting 11 homers. The Wahine hit .500 in the series, led by left fielder Brynne Buchanan at .833 (5-for-6), with a slugging percentage of .949 and an on-base percentage of .579.

UH wore military-fatigue style jerseys for the doubleheader as part of Military Appreciation Day.

"Those people that do serve our country in that way are very special," said Coolen, whose father served in the Navy. "It’s just something where we can just have a day to say thank you, that’s basically what we wanted to do."