Key-annah Campbell-Pu’a could only watch as Hawaii third baseman Rachel “Bueller” Sabourin made a diving backhand stop and fired a throw from her knees for the final out of the Rainbow Wahine softball team’s win over Montana on Sunday.
It wasn’t until her teammates rushed out to greet Campbell-Pu’a that the freshman right-hander fully realized the significance of Sabourin’s play to punctuate a 7-0 victory on the final day of the UNLV Desert Classic in Las Vegas.
When the throw popped into UH first baseman Mya’Liah Bethea’s glove, Campbell-Pu’a had completed a no-hitter in her fourth collegiate start.
“I didn’t realize that I actually threw a no-hitter until everyone swarmed me at the end of the game, so it was pretty cool,” Campbell-Pu’a said in a phone interview.
“It was an amazing play, a great way to end the game. Yes, probably every pitcher wants to strike out the last batter, but I’m just so happy for Bueller.”
The 6-foot-2 Campbell-Pu’a (3-1) struck out six, walked none and faced the minimum 21 batters, thanks to two double plays. Montana’s two baserunners reached on an error in the fourth and a passed ball on a swinging third strike in the sixth.
Campbell-Pu’a’s no-hitter was UH’s first since Izzy Dino, then a freshman, held Saint Mary’s without a hit in an 8-0 win in six innings on Feb. 9, 2019. It was also the program’s first no-no to go all seven innings since Stephanie Ricketts’ gem against Fresno State on senior day in 2012.
“She was, early on, getting ahead in all of her counts and really pounding the strike zone and she just did a really nice job with their hitters,” UH coach Bob Coolen said.
“She was in command and she had them swinging at pitches in the dirt, over their hands, outside low.”
Campbell-Pu’a called her performance a “great team win” and got defensive support from Sabourin, the double-play combination of shortstop Xiao Gin and second baseman Maya Nakamura, and Ka’ena Keliinoi’s diving catch in left field in the third.
Coolen and Campbell-Pu’a also credited the pitch-calling of sophomore catcher Izabella Martinez in keeping the Grizzlies (0-9) off balance.
“Honestly, Bella just does an amazing job of calling pitches I trust her full-heartedly,” Campbell-Pu’a said. “She calls anything and I’m like, ‘Sure, I got you. I’m gonna throw it.’ Big kudos to her because it couldn’t have happened without her behind the plate.”
Nakamura provided offensive support with a solo home run in the top of the first. Bethea hit her third home run of the weekend and sixth of the season in the third inning, and Sabourin launched a two-run shot in the seventh.
Campbell-Pu’a couldn’t recall throwing another no-hitter and was able to share the moment with her mother, Candy, who made the drive from Nipomo, Calif., to Las Vegas for the tournament. She also pitched with the memory of her late father, Sandy Pu’a, on her mind.
“I’m honestly playing every game for him,” she said. “Just to know he’s watching over me is very big. This was a dream that we both shared, so it’s nice to be able to be living it out even though he’s not here physically.”
UH (7-4) went 4-1 in the tournament and returns to Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium for the three-day Bank of Hawaii Invitational starting Friday and will face Marist, Seattle and St. Bonaventure.
