Judging by the hit total, the University of Hawaii softball team increased its production with the bats on Friday.

Coming back around to the plate, however, remained an issue for the Rainbow Wahine.

After being held to seven hits combined over the previous two nights, UH mustered eight off St. Bonaventure pitching on Friday. But runs remained elusive and a comeback bid fell short in a 2-1 loss to the Bonnies as UH fell to 0-3 in the Hawaii Pacific Health Rainbow Wahine Classic.

“It’s a matter of us coming in clutch,” UH sophomore Heather Morales said. “We’re getting hits, but they’re scattered hits.”

Morales singled in all three of her plate appearances and UH put the leadoff runner on base in each of the final six innings and had a runner in scoring position in five. But St. Bonaventure pitchers Josie Borysevicz and Kristen Hickling managed to keep the Wahine (17-12) from bunching hits and the Bonnies (3-8) picked up their second straight win in the tournament.

Borysevicz (3-3) gave up six hits and walked one in the win, Hickling threw 2 2/3 innings of shutout relief and St. Bonaventure held off UH despite not recording a strikeout.

“It’s pitching and defense,” St. Bonaventure coach Mike Threehouse said. “That’s what it’s been about. We’ve had some early struggles, but playing up north it’s 11 degrees outside. Thank goodness (UH) invited us to Hawaii to play some ball. So it’s helped out a ton. I’m excited, the ladies are playing really good ball right now.”

For the second straight night, UH freshman Brittany Hitchcock kept the Wahine close in holding St. Bonaventure to four hits and striking out four with no walks in a complete-game performance. But she again took the loss a night after falling to Virginia Tech 3-1. 

“Most of my pitches were working; every once in a while a pitch got left up or a couple times they got base hits off the knob of the bat,” Hitchcock said. “It was a close game and didn’t work in our favor tonight.”

UH is hitting .192 in the tournament and has scored four runs in the past three games heading into Saturday’s 6 p.m. rematch with Virginia Tech at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. 

“No matter what we’re doing … we’re just not getting that timely hit when we move runners over,” UH coach Bob Coolen said. “We just have to get over this slump.”

UH has two games left in the tournament and a doubleheader with Columbia on Tuesday to try to turn their momentum heading into Big West play.

“We’re really looking to get past 20 wins,” Hitchcock said. “I don’t know if we’re trying too hard to do that, but it’s still attainable in the next couple games. That’s what we’re aiming for to lead into conference.”

St. Bonaventure’s Emily McDonough led off Friday’s game with a triple into the left-field corner and scored the game’s first run when she beat the throw to the plate on Grace Rooney’s grounder to second. Lauren Waite padded the lead with a looping RBI single into shallow left with two out in the fifth, scoring Desiree Gonzalez, who led off with a double.

UH broke through in the bottom of the inning when Ulu Matagiese doubled, then scored on Keiki Carlos’ line drive single off the fence in left center. 

Josie Borysevicz, Kristen Hickling (5) and Lauren Waite. Brittany Hitchcock and Kayla Wartner. W—Borysevicz. L—Hitchcock.

Leading hitters—St. Bonaventure: Emily McDonough, 3B; Desiree Gonzalez, 2B; Waite, RBI. Hawaii: Keiki Carlos, RBI; Heather Morales, 3-3;  Ulu Matagiese, 2B;

Friday

Virginia Tech 9, Western Illinois 0

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.