Hawaii first baseman Dallas Millwood launched a home run in the top of the eighth inning and the Rainbow Wahine softball team claimed a series win at UC San Diego with a 1-0 victory in Saturday’s finale in La Jolla, Calif.

UH freshman Brianna Lopez held off the Tritons to complete her second shutout of the season and give the Wahine (13-11, 7-2 Big West) a sweep of the doubleheader at Triton Softball Field. Lopez (7-5) allowed six hits and struck out seven in a duel with UCSD’s Jada Cecil, who struck out 13 and held UH to four hits.

“I told (Millwood) you’re going to go up and you’re going to slap,” UH coach Bob Coolen said of trying to get the Wahine hitters in rhythm with Cecil. “Start your swing earlier, get your hands out to the ball and let the bat lag and sure enough she just crushed the ball.

“That’s basically was all we needed because Bri was spot on. The changeup was working she was placing the ball and we were making the plays.”

After Cecil posted 16 strikeouts in the Tritons’ 2-0 win in Friday’s series opener, UCSD took a 1-0 lead into the fourth inning of Saturday’s first game. The Wahine broke loose for eight runs in the top of the fourth and added five more in the fifth in a 13-1 win in five innings. Mya’Liah Bethea’s first career home run gave UH a 10-1 lead in the fifth and Ashley Murphy closed out a complete-game victory.

UH freshman Haley Johnson, who grew up in San Diego, delivered the breakthrough hit with a two-run triple that gave the Wahine a 2-1 lead to trigger the fourth inning outburst.

“The momentum swing was just amazing,” Coolen said. “That one hit ignited everyone and it became contagious after that.”

The Wahine are tied with Cal State Fullerton (22-13, 7-2) for first place in the Big West with Long Beach State (16-16, 6-2) a half game back going into its series finale with Cal State Northridge today.

UH returns to Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium to face Cal Poly in a three-game series starting with a doubleheader on Friday.

BeachBows split at UCLA Invitational

The ninth-ranked University of Hawaii beach volleyball team rallied past No. 15 Florida International and was swept by No. 3 Southern Cal on the first day of the UCLA Invitational on Saturday in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

The BeachBows dropped the first two matches against FIU then went to three sets to earn the next three points and clinch the dual. UH’s No. 3 flight of Sofia Russo and Anna Maidment came back from a set down and fought off a match point in the third in a 21-23, 21-16, 17-15 win over Rachele Mancinelli and Emily Meyer for the clinching point.

USC swept UH on four courts with Maidment and Russo going to a third set before former UH standout Julia Scoles and Delaynie Maple pulled out an 19-21, 21-11, 15-13 win.

The BeachBows (16-9) close their road trip today with matchups against No. 6 LSU and Utah.

Hawaii teams compete in softball tourney

The softball teams from Hawaii Pacific, Chaminade and Hawaii Hilo all competed in the Turlock Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif., on Saturday.

>> Hawaii Pacific split a pair of games, defeating Montana State Billings 5-3 and losing to host Stanislaus State 3-1. The Sharks (15-24, 8-14 PacWest) had four players with multiple hits, led by Poliahu Aina, who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Malia Torres held Montana State Billings (10-23) to five hits to earn the win. No stats were provided for the game with Stanislaus State.

>> Kobe Brown drove in the go-ahead in the fifth for the Silverswords (12-17, 8-14 PacWest) to earn a 4-3 victory over Cal State San Bernardino. The Coyotes (11-23) had plated three runs in the top of the inning. The Silverswords also played Stanislaus State in the evening, but no results were reported.

>> Brandee Chinen went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs with a home run, leading Hawaii Hilo (14-16, 10-12 PacWest) to a 9-5 win over Cal Poly Humboldt (12-25). In the second game, Sonoma State pitcher Jesse Dupuis silenced the Vulcans, tossing a two-hit shutout with five strikeouts in leading the Seawolves (25-14) to an 8-0 win.

—

BIG WEST

Hawaii 13, UCSD 1

UH (12-11, 6-2) 000 85 — 13 15 0

UCSD (18-15, 6-2) 100 00 — 1 4 0

Ashley Murphy and Izabella Martinez.

Gabby Williams, Shelby Thompson (4) and Clarissa Reynoso.

W—Murphy. L—Williams.

Leading hitters—Hawaii: Casey Beaulac 2-2, run, 2 RBI; Nawai Kaupe 2 runs; Izabella Martinez 2-4, 2 runs, RBI; Maya Nakamura 2-3, run, 2 RBI; Haley Johnson 2-3, run, 4 RBI; Ka’ena Keliinoi 2-4, 2 runs, RBI; Mya’Liah Bethea 3-3, 2 runs, 3 RBI, HR. UCSD: Keila Bosinger 2-3, run.

Hawaii 1, UCSD 0

UH (13-11, 7-2) 000 000 01 — 1 4 0

UCSD (18-16, 6-3) 000 000 00 — 0 6 1

Brianna Lopez and Izabella Martinez. Jada Cecil and Clarissa Reynoso.

W—Lopez. L—Cecil.

Leading hitters—Hawaii: Dallas Millwood 1 hit, run, RBI, HR. UCSD: Isabel Lavrov 2-3.