The University of Hawaii softball team rallied from a seven-run deficit for the second time this season and edged Longwood 8-7 in eight innings in the Outrigger Resorts Spring Fling Tournament on Thursday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Heather Morales’ grand slam highlighted UH’s six-run outburst in the fifth inning and her sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh tied the game. The game ended in the eighth when Kristina Akiona’s sacrifice fly to right field was dropped and Kiani Wong scored the winning run.

Brittany Hitchcock earned the win with 4 1/3 innings of relief. The freshman right-hander kept Longwood (2-11) scoreless over the final three innings and finished with four strikeouts with no walks and UH (13-8) won its fourth straight.

Longwood endured a 10-1 loss to Utah in six innings in the previous game and took a lead eight pitches into the matchup with UH.

Lancers leadoff hitter Emily Murphy worked the count full before hitting a home run to left center off of UH starter Kanani Aina Cabrales.

Longwood’s Glen Walters walked to lead off the top of the third and advanced on Murphy’s single to right. The throw to third was wild allowing Walters to score.

The Lancers added three more runs in the fourth with Chelsea Sciacca driving in a run with a single and scoring on Carly Adams’ triple. Adams then scored on a ground out and Hitchcock replaced Aina Cabrales in the circle for UH.

Two UH errors contributed to two more Longwood runs in the top of the fifth before UH’s offense surged back in the bottom of the inning.

The Wahine loaded the bases and Jordan Burton, who had two at-bats this season, reached on an infield single to score Ulu Matagiese with UH’s first run. Kayla Wartner was hit by a pitch to bring in another run.

With two out, Morales, drilled a grand slam to left center and her third home run of the season chopped the Lancers’ lead to 7-6.

After Hitchcock held off the Lancers in the sixth and seventh, Burton led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to left. Wartner walked and Burton went to third on Carlos’ fielder’s choice grounder. Morales then lined out to left field, but it was deep enough for Burton to tag and score the tying run.

UH left Carlos at second to send the game into extra innings. With the international tiebreaker in effect both teams began their turns at bat in the eighth inning with a runner at second.

After Hitchcock stranded a Longwood runner at third in the top of the eighth, Ulu Matagiese bunted pinch-runner Kiani Wong to third in the bottom of the eighth. Akiona’s fly ball to right field was dropped and Wong scored the winning run.