Box Score

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai'i softball team captured its 20th win of the season by mercy-ruling Lipscomb, 8-0 in five innings. Kaia Parnaby earned her 10th win of the season, while Kelly Majam and Melissa Gonzalez both hit a pair of home runs to help overpower the Lady Bison (20-4) at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium tonight.

Parnaby (10-4), UH's Aussie southpaw, helped the 'Bows bounce back after a loss to No. 13/12 California earlier in the day. Parnaby picked up her fifth shut-out of the season, spacing four hits in five innings of work tonight. It was her 14th complete game of the year.

 

Lipscomb's ace Whitney Kiihnl (14-1), suffered her first loss of the season, giving up six runs on six hits with three strike outs in two-plus innings of work. Alaina Jacobsen closed the game, tossing the final two innings. Jacobsen gave up two runs on three hits with a walk and two strike outs. 

Majam blasted a lead-off home run over the right-centerfield fence to start the game for UH. After a strike out, Gonzalez hit a solo home run to left-centerfield, giving UH a quick 2-0 lead after one inning.

 

Hawai'i exploded for four runs in bottom of the third on pair of two-run bombs. Katie Grimes led the inning off with a single to left, and was followed by Majam who launched a bomb over the high netting in right-centerfield into the tennis courts. The home run was Majam's 12th of the year which is eighth all-time in the UH single-season record book. Jessica Iwata kept things going with a single to left, and Gonzalez then hit her second homer of the game to right-centerfield as well. For Gonzalez, it was her eighth home run of the year. It is the second time in her career that she has hit two home runs in one game. UH ended the third inning up 6-0.

 

The 'Bows added two runs in the bottom of the fourth to push UH's lead to 8-0. Hawai`i started the inning with back-to-back doubles. Traci Yoshikawa led off with a double to the left-center gap and Amanda Tauali'i traded places with her at second with an RBI double of her own. Grimes when battled at the plate to draw a walk, putting runners at first and second. Majam then collected her third hit of the game, a single to center, to load the bases. Pu`u-Warren then hustled home on a wild pitch to score UH's eighth and final run of the game.

 

Majam led UH at the plate going 3-for-3 at the plate with two home runs, three RBI and two runs scored. Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBI.

The Rainbow Wahine have now hit at least four home runs in five games this season. The season high, however, was five when Gonzalez, Alex Aguirre both hit two and Jenna Rodriguez added a fifth in an 11-0 rout at UNLV on Feb. 19. Hawai`i has now racked up 58 home runs thus far this season, just four short of last year's total of 62. The team home run record for UH is 84, which was set by the 2007 Super Regional team. 
 
It was the first time the Lady Bison were mercy ruled this season. Lipscomb has only been shut out three times this season, twice by the Rainbow Wahine and once to California earlier today.

The Chevron Spring Fling Tournament continues tomorrow with Lipscomb taking on California at 4:00 pm and UH taking on Cal at 6:00 p.m.