Gabbie Plain showed she’s anything but ordinary in eighth-ranked Washington’s rout of the Hawaii softball team on Thursday.

Plain, an All-American from Australia, struck out the first seven batters she faced and came within an out of a perfect game in the Huskies’ 8-0 win in five innings in UH’s season opener at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Plain retired 14 in a row before UH junior Mikaela Gandia-Mak grounded a pinch-hit single through the middle with two out in the bottom of the fifth to break up the perfect game. Plain still struck out the side for the third time in the game to finish with 11 Ks while improving to 8-0 this season.

UH coach Bob Coolen had visions of adding Plain to the program’s storied line of Australian pitchers four years ago before she committed to Washington. Shortstop Nawai Kaupe was her teammate with the Huskies for two years before transferring to Hawaii last season.

“She’s very known for her spins,” Kaupe said of the 6-foot right hander. “She has great movement and that’s why she excels in what she does.”

Plain, who entered with a 0.52 earned-run average and 95 strikeouts in 532⁄3 innings and as the reigning Wilson/NFCA national pitcher of the week, received ample support. The Washington batting order pounded out 15 hits, highlighted by Sami Reynolds’ two-run home run in the top of the fifth.

UH freshman Jetta Nannen issued bases-loaded walks in the second and third innings, but managed to limit the damage early. The Huskies didn’t need much help in a four-run fourth that included three doubles and Reynolds’ homer in the fifth brought the eight-run rule into effect.

While Washington improved to 14-2, Thursday’s game was UH’s first against a Division I opponent since March 11 of last year when the 2020 season was shut down.

Nannen picked up two wins as the Wahine swept an exhibition series with Chaminade last week and finished with one strikeout and three walks in the regular-season opener.

“We’re not really in seven-inning shape, we’re not really close to being there,” Coolen said. “(Nannen) started getting behind. It’s great to have her back 100%. She needed to get ahead in the count. She can throw the ball hard, but her screw and her rise weren’t really working.”

Still, Coolen and Kaupe expressed appreciation for getting to the season opener, albeit without fans in the park.

“I felt we needed an opponent like this to fire our butts a little bit, get us ready for our season … when conference comes,” Kaupe said.

“We call it a ‘gratitude season.’ We’re trying our best … not only for each other, but to play for our families and whoever’s away because they don’t have the opportunity to watch us.”

The three-game series — UH’s lone nonconference contests of the season — continues today at 6 p.m. with the finale set for 2 p.m. on Saturday.