UH-Hilo’s softball team has pulled off good wins this season, namely against West Region powerhouses Cal Baptist and Dixie State.
On Tuesday, the Vulcans scraped the other end of the barrel and avoided a couple of bad losses.
UHH won a slugfest 11-8 and a pitcher’s duel 3-1 against Holy Names in Oakland, Calif., avoiding an embarrassing setback against a team that only has one win.
Brinell Kaleikini drove in three runs in the first game and homered in the second to back Isabelle Meija (3-4), who tossed six shutout innings.
The Vulcans (20-10, 8-4) posted 14 hits and watched a 6-0 lead in the opener go up in smoke as the Hawks (1-21, 1-9) knocked out senior ace Cyanne Fernandez (four runs, four hits) in the third inning.
Leah Gonzales (3-2) hung tough for 4 1/3 innings, allowing three hits, four runs (three earned) with three walks and four strikeouts.
UH-Hilo reached double digits in runs for the first time since Feb. 9.
Kaleikini hit an RBI double in the third and a two-run single in the fifth; Kacie Freudenberger doubled in a run in the third and Darian Obara (2 for 4) followed with a two-run triple; Kiarra Lincoln singled to bring in two runs in the fifth.
Mari Kawano, Bailey Gaspar, Meija and Obara joined Kaleikini with two hits each.
In the second game, Lincoln doubled in the first and scored on Gaspar’s single, and Gaspar was hit by a pitch leading off the third and was on second one batter later when Kaleikini homered to center, her fifth of the season.
Ahead 3-0, Meija sailed, allowing five hits and walking three before handing the ball to Gonzales, who allowed a run but stranded the tying runs in the seventh for her third save.
The teams played another doubleheader Wednesday.