COURTESY UH ATHLETICS
Brianna Lopez
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Hawaii freshman left-hander Brianna Lopez opened her homecoming week by tossing a two-hit complete game in the Rainbow Wahine softball team’s 2-0 win over UC Riverside on Friday in Riverside, Calif.
Lopez, a graduate of Ramona High School in Riverside, struck out six and walked two in her third shutout of the season. Lopez retired the last eight batters she faced to win a duel with UCR’s Chrys Hildebrand, who gave up four hits and posted 11 strikeouts.
Lopez threw 95 pitches, 59 for strikes, to improve to 8-6 while helping the Wahine break a three-game losing streak.
UH shortstop Nawai Kaupe gave Lopez the lead with a home run in the top of the first inning, her team-leading eighth of the season. The Wahine added to the lead in the third when Maya Nakamura lined a single to left to score Brittnee Rossi from second.
Nakamura batted 1-for-2 to extend her career-high hitting streak to six games. It was Nakamura’s 20th RBI this season, which is tops for the Rainbow Wahine.
The Rainbow Wahine (14-14, 8-5 Big West) and Highlanders (15-20, 6-7) close the series with a doubleheader today at Amy S. Harrison Field.
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Hawaii 2, UC Riverside 0
UH (14-14, 8-5 BWC) 101000 0 — 2 4 0
UCR (15-20, 6-7 BWC) 000000 0 — 0 2 0
W—Brianna Lopez. L—Chrys Hildebrand.
Leading hitters—UH: Nawai Kaupe HR, RBI, run. UCR: Nadia Witt 2b.