Hawaii senior Brittany Hitchcock struck out nine and posted her second straight shutout in the Rainbow Wahine softball team’s 5-0 win over UTEP on Saturday in the Texaco Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament.
UH sophomore Callee Heen gave the Wahine (9-7) the lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning. UH pulled away in the fourth on two bases-loaded walks and Danielle Garcielita’s RBI groundout.
Hitchcock (5-3), who went the distance in UH’s 2-0 win over Longwood on Thursday, gave up seven hits and walked none against UTEP (9-11).
The tournament concludes today with UH facing UTEP and James Madison in a doubleheader scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
UH water polo wins Big West opener
Hawaii junior Irene Gonzalez scored four goals and assisted on two more to lead the fifth-ranked Rainbow Wahine water polo team to a 12-6 win over No. 8 UC Irvine in Saturday’s Big West opener at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.
Femke Aan added three goals and an assist and Ymane Hage made five saves for UH (12-2). The defending BWC champion Anteaters dropped to 4-9.
Steensen to speak at Quarterback Club
Historian Ralph Steensen will be the featured speaker at Monday’s meeting of the Honolulu Quarterback Club at the Maple Garden restaurant.
Steensen’s uncle, the late State Sen. Harry M. Field, attended Punahou and played one year at the University of Hawaii under coach Otto Klum. He went on to earn All-Pac 8 honors as a lineman at Oregon State and was an NFL All-Pro for the then-Chicago Cardinals in the 1930s. Steensen is a longtime member of the Quarterback Club and has been trying to have his uncle considered for induction into the Polynesian Football Hall Of Fame.
The luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. with the program to start at noon. The cost is $16. The meeting is open to the general public.
Hawaii Hilo softball sweeps Biola
The Hawaii Hilo softball team swept a doubleheader from Biola on Saturday at Kealakehe High School.
In the first game, Cyanne Fernandez pitched a five-hitter with three strikeouts in the Vulcans’ 2-0 victory. Hilo’s Danielle Antolin and Kiarra Lincoln drove in runs.
In the second game, Mari Kawano went 3-for-3 and Isabelle Mejia doubled and scored twice in Hilo’s 4-3 victory.
The game was moved from the UHH field because of wet field conditions.
The Vulcans improved to 11-4, and the Eagles dropped to 17-5.
