Freshman Alexis Lacy and her pitching arsenal traveled, but the UH-Hilo’s softball team’s bats hadn’t arrived as of Monday.
The Vulcans took a pair of 3-2 losses on the chin at Azusa Pacific as they opened a four-stop California road trip that will see them play 17 times in 14 days.
Playing for the first time in a week, Lacy fired her second consecutive extra-inning complete game, losing again when the courtesy runner placed on second to begin the inning scored, this time with a one-out single.
UHH (10-8, 8-6 PacWest) managed just eight hits combined in the two games.
In the 10-inning opener, Angel Prewitt collected two hits, scoring on Teisha Bratton’s double in the third that gave the Vuls a 2-1 lead. Earlier, Skylar Thomas delivered a run-scoring hit.
But UHH didn’t score again, and the Cougars tied the game in the fourth, finishing with 11 hits off Lacy (4-2), who didn’t walk a batter and struck out four. The two earned run she allowed were the first given up in her past six starts.
Beginning the top of the 10th stationed on second, Prewitt advanced to third on a bunt, but the next two batters struck out.
In the second game, the Cougars (15-12, 9-5) scored twice in the first inning against Sara Bhatt (6-2), then chased her with one out in the third on Aly Montesino’s home run.
UHH got two runs back on consecutive RBI doubles by Alana Alvarez and Bratton in the sixth, but the Vuls’ last five batters of the game were retired.
Malia Risdall and Tehani Seto combined to pitch 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
UHH plays another doubleheader Tuesday at Azusa.