Rainbow Wahine rely on all-around effort to defeat Cal State Northridge

Hawaii’s all-freshman battery and “All-State” infield powered the Rainbow Wahine softball team to a 3-1 win over Cal State Northridge to complete a sweep of the Big West series on Sunday.

UH right-hander Brianna Lopez earned her second complete-game win of the series while working with fellow freshman Izabella Martinez behind the plate and got offensive and defensive support from an infield that turned two double plays and delivered two home runs.

“(Lopez) pitched really well and we made some defensive gems … and our hitting was timely this weekend,” UH coach Bob Coolen said.

The Rainbow Wahine (11-10, 5-1 Big West) pulled out two 4-3 wins over the Matadors in Friday’s doubleheader and held off CSUN (13-20, 3-3) again on Sunday to move into a three-way tie with for first place in the conference. They head on the road to face UC San Diego, which also closed the weekend at 5-1 in Big West play along with UH and Cal State Fullerton. The Wahine and Tritons play a single game on Friday and a doubleheader on Saturday in La Jolla, Calif.

UH second baseman Maya Nakamura got UH on the board with a two-run home run to center field in the bottom of the first inning and first baseman Dallas Millwood added a solo shot in the fifth.

Nakamura also homered in Friday’s series opener and “after my first at bat they kept drilling me in and I could never square one up.”

“My first at bat (on Sunday) I went up looking for that inside pitch. I gave a couple inches off the plate and the first pitch it was there.”

Lopez gave up five hits, walked three and struck out one while improving to 6-4 and lowered her earned-run average to 1.94.

“We were really focused on her just breathing and calming down and just spinning her pitches a lot,” said Martinez, who went 2-for-3 at the plate. “She’s a hard worker and she worked her tail off.

“Bri is my best friend on the field and off the field. I don’t think there’s an hour where we’re apart. When you have a friendship like that, she trusts me and I trust her and it shows.”

CSUN scored its lone run on Jaymi Steward’s home run to lead off the sixth, but Martinez later helped Lopez escape the inning by picking a runner off of first base.

UH’s four infield starters on Sunday had earned first-team All-State honors in high school. Third baseman Ka’ena Keliinoi (Saint Francis) started double plays in the second and sixth innings. Shortstop Nawai Kaupe (Maui) snagged a line drive that appeared headed into center field and ranged up the middle to cut off a high chopper. Millwood (Kamehameha) completed the rundown on Martinez’s pickoff in the sixth and Nakamura (Roosevelt) made a backhanded flip with her glove to Kaupe for a force out in the seventh.

“I have lots of confidence in my infield and my outfield,” said Lopez, who forced 10 groundball out and five infield popups. “It’s awesome to see those double plays, especially when I give up a hit or a walk. It’s a good feeling having great confidence in my infield.”