Box Score

LAS VEGAS—The University of Hawaii softball team (7-3) overcame an early deficit to topple the Titans of Cal State Fullerton, 12-3, on the final day of the Louisville-Slugger Desert Classic. Freshman pitcher Kaia Parnaby earned a win with a complete game effort and got more than enough offensive support as the 'Bows hit four home runs—including a grand slam by Traci Yoshikawa.

 

The Rainbow Wahine finished the tournament with a 4-1 record and outscored their opponents 52-25 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles and 49 RBI.

 

Parnaby (5-0) gave up three runs on six hits with three walks and five strike outs. She has completed all five games she's started thus far this season.

 

It was the Titans, however, that came out of the gates hot. Parnaby got the first two outs of the inning, but gave up a walk to Morgan LeMond, and then back-to-back home runs to Trina Harrison and Torrie Anderson.

 

CS Fullerton held a 3-0 lead and kept the 'Bows at bay, until the top of the third. Kelly Majam led off with a solo home run to centerfield—it was her third round-tripper of the season.

 

Hawai'i then knotted the score at 3-3 in the fifth inning. Majam again was the catalyst, starting a two-out rally with a single to center. Jenna Rodriguez then followed with a blast over the leftfield fence.

 

A pitching change for CS Fullerton to start the sixth, proved to be fatal. After the Titans' starting pitcher Krystal Heinle held UH to just five hits through the first five innings, relief pitcher Katey Laban gave up nine runs on nine hits in the last two frames. Amanda Tauali'i started a four-run rally in sixth with a single to right. Freshman shortstop Jessica Iwata then hit her second home run of her young career to leftfield. After a strike out, Alex Aguirre kept things rolling with a single to left. Pinch-hitter Kanani Pu'u-Warren then was beaned to put runners at first and second. A wild pitch then moved both runners into scoring position for Katie Grimes, who then hit a bases clearing double to centerfield. The two-run double put UH up 7-3 with one inning to go.

 

Hawaii then finished the game strong, posting five more runs in the top of the seventh. Melissa Gonzalez and Tauali'i started the inning with back-to-back singles, and Iwata drew a walk to load the bases. Yoshikawa then came through with her second career grand slam with a shot to leftfield. Aguirre kept the rally alive with an opposite-field single to right, and later came home on an RBI single by Rodriguez to push UH's lead to 12-3 with half an inning to play.

 

The 'Bows stay on the road and will now travel to Los Angeles, Calif. to play a single game at Loyola Marymount before heading to the Cathedral City Classic where they will face Oklahoma State, UC Davis, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Arizona from Feb. 25-27.