Hawaii senior Brittany Hitchcock fired a five-hit shutout and the Rainbow Wahine softball team picked up its first home win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Longwood on Thursday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
After being shut out by No. 15 California on Wednesday, the Rainbow Wahine (7-7) scored their first run of the Texaco Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament on Angelique Ramos’ RBI double in the bottom of the second inning. Junior third baseman Nicole Lopez added an insurance run in the sixth with her third home run of the season.
Hitchcock (4-3) struck out two and walked three in her 16th career shutout and first of the season. The Lancers fell to 7-5.
The tournament continues today with UH facing East Carolina at 6:30 p.m.
>> Kamehameha graduate Kamalani Dung struck out 12 and recorded the first perfect game of her career in No. 15 California’s 4-0 win over UTEP in Thursday’s first game at RWSS.
“It was awesome to throw my first perfect game at home in front of my friends, family and the Cal fans,” Dung said in a post on Cal’s website after retiring all 21 batters she faced.
Dung (9-0) struck out the first two batters she faced in each of the first five innings against UTEP (9-9).
UH’s Weidner, Hines qualify for NCAAs
The University of Hawaii’s Franziska Weidner and Phoebe Hines will compete in multiple events at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships to be held March 14-17 in Columbus, Ohio, UH announced Thursday.
Weidner, a senior from Nuremberg, Germany, will compete in the 200-yard individual medley, 200 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke. Weidner is a two-time Mountain Pacific Sports Federation women’s swimmer of the year.
Hines, a sophomore from Parrearra, Queensland, Australia, qualified for the 500 and 1,650 freestyle events.
HPU softball drops doubleheader to Biola
The Hawaii Pacific softball team lost two games to Biola on Thursday at Howard A. Okita Field.
In the second game, which went nine innings, Emilee Leonard and Tiana Cantero-Kawelo each had three hits for the Sharks in a 5-1 defeat. Hailey Boyett went 4-for-5 with three RBIs for the Eagles.
In the first game, Terri Van Dagens and Paige Austin combined on a four-hitter in Biola’s 4-0 victory. HPU’s Jordan Curry allowed four runs — two earned — in a complete-game performance.
The Sharks fell to 3-3, 0-2 PacWest, while the Eagles improved to 17-3, 6-0.