Refreshed by a day off, the University of Hawaii softball team began another grueling week with a 5-0 win over East Carolina on Tuesday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

UH freshman Brittany Hitchcock gave up nine hits — including one off her leg and another off her hand — but finished off her third complete-game victory in her last four starts and turned in her second shutout of the season.

Hitchcock, named the Big West pitcher of the week on Monday, stranded nine ECU runners, didn’t allow a walk and finished the night with the last two of her six strikeouts.

"I was kind of having a hard time on certain pitches. If I left the ball up they definitely took advantage of it," Hitchcock said. "But I got lucky they didn’t score any runs off the mistakes that I made and my infielders really backed me up."

The Rainbow Wahine (17-9) took Monday off after playing five games in four days last week in the Outrigger Resorts Spring Fling. Tuesday’s game — UH’s lone stand-alone game in the nonconference schedule — leads into the Hawaii Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic, which opens on Wednesday.

"We needed to get away from the field," UH coach Bob Coolen said of Monday’s break. "The players get tired because they’re going to school then coming here and performing and they have to go home and study. We need the days off, and when they come at the right time they help you rejuvenate."

UH faces Western Illinois (5-5) at 6 p.m. Wednesday to open the last of five nonconference tournaments at home.

The five-day tournament also features St. Bonaventure (1-7), Virginia Tech (16-3) and Columbia (2-4). Virginia Tech enters as the highest-rated team in the tournament, falling under "others receiving votes" in this week’s USA Today/

NFCA coaches poll and ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. The Wahine face the Hokies on Thursday and Saturday.

UH right fielder Keiki Carlos said the one day of down time "makes a huge difference just to get back caught up on our studies and rest mentally and physically."

The junior had no problem gearing back up on Tuesday, sparking the UH offense with a double in the first inning and capping the night with a two-run home run in the fifth.

"Just small adjustments we had to make, but I was just really relaxed at the plate," Carlos said.

Hitchcock worked into and out of trouble throughout the night, giving up at least one hit in each inning. The shutout was threatened in the seventh when Meredith Mitchell led off the inning with a double, but Hitchcock got a groundout at third and struck out the next two hitters to end the game.

"I always tell myself before every pitch, ‘Just roll up a ground ball,’ because I know my defense can field the ground balls," Hitchcock said. "That’s what I was trying to focus on and it worked out and I got a couple of strikeouts."

Mililani graduate Kacie Oshiro went 3-for-3 for East Carolina (7-16), which ended its week-long stay in Hawaii.

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

Ashley Cruise and Abby Wynne. Brittany Hitchcock and Kayla Wartner. W–Hitchcock. L–Cruise.

Leading hitters–East Carolina: Mary-Sloan Bradford, 3-4; Kacie Oshiro, 3-3; Meredith Mitchell, 2B. Hawaii: Keiki Carlos, 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs; Heather Morales, RBI; Leisha Li’ili’i, 2B.

Hawaii Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

Wednesday: St. Bonaventure vs. Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m.; Western Illinois vs. Hawaii, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Western Illinois vs. St. Bonaventure, 3:30 p.m.; Virginia Tech vs. Hawaii, 6 p.m.

Friday: Virginia Tech vs. Western Illinois, 3:30 p.m.; St. Bonaventure vs. Hawaii, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Columbia vs. Western Illinois, 11 a.m.; Columbia vs. Virginia Tech, 1:30 p.m.; Western Illinois vs. St. Bonaventure, 4 p.m.; Virginia Tech vs. Hawaii, 6 p.m.

Sunday: St. Bonaventure vs. Columbia, 11 a.m.; Columbia vs. Hawaii, 1 p.m.