Rainbow Wahine rally past Portland State

Hawaii senior Callee Heen hit a tie-breaking home run in the fourth inning and the Rainbow Wahine softball team opened the Hawaii Invitational with a 7-5 win over Portland State on Thursday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Heen went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs in support of Ashley Murphy, who gave up three runs in the top of the first but settled down to hold the Vikings to one hit over the next five innings and earned a complete-game victory.

>> Photo Gallery: Rainbow Wahine softball: Hawaii vs. Portland State

UH (5-7) answered the Vikings’ initial surge in the bottom of the first when freshman Ka‘ena Keliinoi lined an RBI triple into the right-field corner and Heen followed with a single. The Wahine tied the game in the third and jumped ahead in the fourth on Heen’s two-run blast to right-center for her fifth homer of the season. Murphy (3-3) gave up seven hits, struck out one and walked two in the win.

The four-day tournament continues today with UH scheduled to face Kansas City at 6 p.m.

UH swim teams lead at MPSF halfway mark

The Hawaii men’s and women’s teams claimed the top spot in the standings Thursday after the first two of four days in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation swimming and diving championships in Los Angeles.

The Rainbow Warriors have 292 points, 23 points ahead of second-place BYU. The Rainbow Wahine have 264 points, followed by UC Santa Barbara’s 227.

UH’s Phoebe Hines won the 500 freestyle for the third straight year in 4 minutes, 43.39 seconds. Junior Lucia Lassman won the 50 free in 22.70. Sophomore Daphne Wils broke the school and meet records in 3-meter diving with a 388.40. Senior David Springhetti won a silver medal in the 200 individual medley. The 200 free relay team also finished second.