Hawaii freshman Jetta Nannen threw five no-hit innings and the Rainbow Wahine rolled to a 12-0 six-inning win over Cal State Northridge in the first game of a Big West softball doubleheader on Saturday in Northridge, Calif.
After the Rainbow Wahine clinched the series win, the host Matadors avoided a series sweep by rallying for two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 4-3 win in the finale.
UH center fielder Brittnee Rossi hit a leadoff home run to spark the Wahine (4-5, 4-2 BWC) in the opener. UH pounded out 16 hits to back Nannen (2-3), who struck out two, walked four and held CSUN (2-4, 2-4) to two hits.
CSUN took a 2-1 lead into the fourth inning of the second game before UH’s Nawai Kaupe hit a tying home run and Mya’Liah Bethea drove in Maya Nakamura with a double to give UH the lead. CSUN’s Alexis Lemus led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to right field and later scored on another double by Jaymi Steward. With runners on second and third and one out, Kenedee Jamerson’s grounder to shortstop was enough to drive in Savannah Favre with the winning run.
UH junior Ashley Murphy, who earned a complete-game victory in Friday’s series opener, went the distance in the loss.
The Wahine return home to host UC San Diego in a four-game series starting Friday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
BeachBows go 1-2 to close road trip
A hectic season-opening road trip for the Hawaii beach volleyball team ended with a win and two losses against Big West opponents to close The Challenge on Saturday in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The 10th-ranked Rainbow Wahine (5-4) opened the day with a 4-1 win over Cal State Bakersfield then dropped 3-2 decisions to No. 19 Long Beach State and host No. 5 Cal Poly.
UH’s team of Brooke Van Sickle and Amber Igiede earned the clinching point against CSU Bakersfield and the BeachBows’ match with Long Beach State was decided on the No. 1 court. Van Sickle and Igiede rallied to force a third set, but LBSU’s Tyler Spriggs and Mari Molina outlasted the Wahine duo in a 16-21, 22-20, 18-16 win.
Cal Poly (13-3) won the first three matches of the finale to clinch the win. UH’s Pani Napoleon and Jaime Santer finished a 3-0 day with a 24-22, 21-16 win over Cal Poly’s Jayelin Lombard and Amy Ozee, a graduate transfer from UH, at the No. 2 Flight.
UH went 3-2 in the round-robin tournament and plays host to Long Beach State in its home opener at the T.C. Ching Beach Volleyball Courts this week. The three-match series starts Thursday and closes with a doubleheader on Saturday.