HONOLULU—The 25-ranked University of Hawai`i softball team (36-11, 14-0 WAC) swept tonight's doubleheader over Louisiana Tech, 8-5 and 9-0 (five innings). UH pitchers Kaia Parnaby and Stephanie Ricketts both earned wins and were backed by six home runs. Kelly Majam broke the WAC single-season home run record with her 24th bomb of the season tonight at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

UH held off a late La Tech rally to open tonight's doubleheader with a 8-5 win. Freshman pitcher, Parnaby earned the win raising her record to 16-5 overall and 4-0 in the WAC.

The 'Bows jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Majam led the inning off with a walk, moved to second on a ground out to short, and then came all the way home on an RBI single by Melissa Gonzalez. Later, after another ground out to short, Traci Yoshikawa drew the inning's second walk and Alex Aguirre hit a fielder's choice to third that resulted in no outs. Kanani Pu'u-Warren then drove in Gonzalez and Yoshikawa with a hard-hit single that ricocheted off the second baseman. Then, with runners on first and second, Aguirre scored as Pu`u-Warren got in a run-down between first and second on the double-steal attempt.

The score remained that way until the fifth, when Majam walked for the third time in the game to start the inning. Jessica Iwata then launched a two-run home run to deep leftfield. After a pop-up to first, Jenna Rodriguez and Yoshikawa kept things going with back-to-back singles. Aguirre was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for Pu`u-Warren who came up with her third RBI of the game on a fielder's choice to short that scored pinch runner Mikalemi Tagab-Cruz from third, pushing UH's lead to 7-0.

The Lady Techsters started to chip away in the top of the sixth, on a solo-home by Kylie Bassett over the right-centerfield fence.

But the 'Bows got the run back in the bottom of the sixth on Majam's record-breaking 24th home run of the season. Majam's home run was an opposite-field shot that sailed over the left-centerfield fence. It broke the WAC's single season home run record of 23 previously held by Fresno State All-American Christina Clark. The blast gave UH an 8-5 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Louisiana Tech battled back, scoring four runs on three home runs, to cut into the lead, but it was too little too late. Janna Frandup and Molly Goza led the inning with back to back home runs. UH got one out on a ground out to second, but then a walk to pinch hitter Valerie Quiroga chased Parnaby from the game. Ricketts entered and got the second out of the inning on a strike out before giving up a home run to Bassett her second bomb in as many innings. Ricketts then ended the game on a strike out.

UH's Parnaby (16-5, 4-0 WAC) earned the win, giving up four runs on five hits in 6.1 innings of work. She walked four and struck out four. Ricketts fired the final two-thirds of the seventh inning, giving up one run on one hit with two strike outs.

Louisiana Tech starter, Meghan Krieg threw a complete game, giving up eight runs on six hits with five walks and four strike outs.

Box Score

The Rainbow Wahine completed the series sweep over La Tech with a 9-0 win in five innings. It was the 15th time this season that the 'Bows won by the mercy rule. Ricketts (19-6, 10-0 WAC) earned the win with her third shut-out of the season. She threw five innings, spacing two hits with a walk and six strike outs. Ricketts retired the last seven batters in a row.

The 'Bows posted two runs in the third inning on Gonzalez's first home run of the game. The blast flew over the right-centerfield fence, driving in Iwata who had singled earlier in the inning.

Hawai`i then put the game away, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to win by the mercy rule. Katie Grimes and Majam led the inning off with back-to-back singles. Iwata then laced a double to the left-centerfield gap to drive in pinch runner Brynne Buchanan from second. Gonzalez then launched her second home run of the game way over the net in leftfield to score three more runs. It was her 17th home run of the year and marked the fifth time this season that she's hit two homers in one game. The Lady Techsters then changed pitchers, with Michelle Jones entering the game in place of Frandup. She got the first two outs quickly before giving up a solo home run to Aguirre to right-centerfield. Jones then walked Pu`u-Warren which brought up Amanda Tauali'i who ended the game on a two-run shot high over the centerfield fence for the 9-0 win.

Louisiana Tech's Frandrup (0-1, 0-1 WAC) gave up six runs on eight hits with a walk and a strike out, while Jones threw two-thirds of the last inning, giving up three runs on two hits with a walk.

The 'Bows, with the two wins today, are on a 14 game win streak, breaking the old record of 13 set in 1994. Today the 'Bows wore specially designed pink uniforms in support of Under Armour's "Power in Pink" campaign against breast cancer. This is the second season that UH has participated in the campaign.

Hawai`i will now head to Nevada to face the Wolf Pack on April 23 in a single game followed by a doubleheader on April 24 starting at 1:00 p.m.  The 'Bows return home to end the regular season against Fresno State on Friday, April 30 with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 1 (senior night).