Softball Splits Doubleheader at UC Santa Barbara - University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics (2024)

SANTA BARBARA—The University of Hawai'i softball team (8-16, 1-2 Big West) split Saturday's doubleheader at UC Santa Barbara. Hawai'i won the first game, 2-1 but fell 9-0 in the second game at Campus Diamond. The Gauchos won a series over UH for the first time since 2018.

Hawai'i 2, UC Santa Barbara 1
After a Friday slugfest with 21 combined runs scored between UH and UCSB, Saturday began with a pitcher's duel between UH's Key-Annah Campbell-Pua and Malaya Johnson. Campbell-Pua fired her second complete-game win of the season to improve to 2-5. After giving up one run in the first, Campbell-Pua settled down to shut down the Gauchos for the next six innings—which included retiring nine-straight batters between the end of the second into the fifth inning. She spaced six hits with a walk and one game-ending strikeout looking to seal the win.

The Gauchos led off the game with a double by McNally who was driven in by Sams with an RBI single to left for the early, 1-0 lead.

Haley Johnson led the fourth inning off with UH's first hit of the day. Maya Nakamura then walked to put runners at first and second. Dallas Millwood then pushed both runners into scoring position by laying down a perfect sacrifice bunt. Chloe Borges followed with a single to center to drive in Johnson and Mya'Liah Bethea lifted a sacrifice fly into left to score Nakamura from third to see-saw in front, 2-1.

T4-Bethea lifts a sac fly to left to score Nakamura from third. UH see-saws in front, 2-1 pic.twitter.com/G54Uusm7VF

— Hawaii Softball (@HawaiiSB) March 16, 2024

In the sixth, Borges drilled a two out double to right-center, but a flyout to center left her stranded at second. Jamie McGaughey led off the seventh with a double off the base of the right-center wall. Pinch runner Larissa Goshi hustled into third on a sacrifice bunt by Xia Gin. But Goshi was left at third after two groundouts ended the rally.

With two outs in the sixth, the Gauchos got back-to-back singles. But Nakamura snared a grounder headed to center and flipped to second for the fielder's choice to squash the UCSB rally.

#HawaiiSB WINS!
Campbell-Pua's first strikeout of the game ENDS the game! UH downs UC Santa Barbara, 2-1 to start Saturday's doubleheader.
Rubber match between UH & UCSB to come in about 30 minutes#GoBows pic.twitter.com/HFr50OFHg7

— Hawaii Softball (@HawaiiSB) March 16, 2024

UCSB's Johnson (1-3) allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts in the complete-game effort.

UC Santa Barbara 9, Hawai'i 0 (5)
The Gauchos notched a pair of runs in the first--one on an RBI groundout and two off an RBI single for an early, 3-0.

Hawai'i's defense got two quick outs to start the bottom of the second, but after a single, a fielding error on an infield pop-fly opened the flood gates for the Gauchos. UCSB brought 11 to the plate to score six runs to extend their lead to 9-0.

UH's Borges dropped her record to 0-3 giving up nine runs on six hits with two walks with a strikeout in an inning-and-two-thirds. Addison Kostrencich threw the next 1.2 innings allowing one hit with a walk and a strikeout. After a walk, Millie Fidge struck out the final two batters.

B4: Fidge comes in and ends B4th w/a pair of strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/HIot3vTQBy

— Hawaii Softball (@HawaiiSB) March 16, 2024

UCSB's Ainsley Waddell earned the complete game win, taking a no hitter into the fifth inning and two outs before UH's Madixx Muramoto belted a double to right. Waddell had two walks and five strikeouts as the Gauchos won the series over UH for the first time since 2018.

The Rainbow Wahine return home to host CSUN in a three-game conference series. The 'Bows and and Matadors will square off in a single game on March 22 at 6:00 p.m. HT followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23 beginning at 2:00 p.m. HT. All three games will be played at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium where admission is free.