Kaupe hits first homer for No. 1 Huskies | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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The University of Washington softball team is ranked No. 1 in the country with some help from two girls from Hawaii.

Freshman outfielder Nawai Kaupe, a 2017 Maui High alumna, belted her first career home run in a 7-0 victory over Wichita State on Sunday that was the Huskies’ eighth shutout in a row.

That extended the school record for consecutive shutouts and helped UW nab the No. 1 ranking by both USA Today and the NFCA this week, marking Washington’s first No. 1 ranking since May 2010.

UW is 12-0 this year, leads the nation in batting average and runs scored, and has played a full seven innings only once this season, wining the other 11 by run rule.

Only twice this season has an opponent recorded more than two hits.

Kaupe, who made the Star-Advertiser All-State first team as a shortstop after hitting .536 with a state-high 11 homers, is batting .286 (4-for-14) with four runs scored and has started four of the nine games she’s appeared in with the Huskies.

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Catcher Rachel Ogasawara, a 2015 Kamehameha alumna, has started six games behind the plate for UW and is batting .235 (4-for-17) with a double and four RBIs.

The Huskies play at Texas today, then participate in the Mary Nutter Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., this weekend, which includes a game against No. 6 Texas A&M.

Oregon’s Tobita ranked in singles, doubles

Oregon senior Alyssa Tobita, a 2014 Mililani alumna, dropped to No. 18 with playing partner Shweta Sangwan in the latest Oracle/ITA Division I Women’s Doubles National Rankings released Tuesday.

Tobita, who is also ranked No. 125 in singles, has helped the Ducks move up to a program-best No. 17 in the latest school rankings.

Tobita went to a tiebreaker at No. 1 doubles to pull out the win and earn the doubles point for the Ducks in a 7-0 win over William & Mary on Saturday morning.

Oregon earned its first clean sweep of the season, with Tobita winning in three sets at No. 1 singles over Rosie Cheng, who was ranked No. 68.

The Ducks are now 6-3 heading into a five-game homestand starting with Baylor on Friday.