The Rainbow Wahine softball team took both games of its Saturday doubleheader with UC Santa Barbara, winning 9-5 and 5-0 to open Big West play with a series win.
In the first game, Hawaii (19-10, 2-1 Big West) fell into an early hole as the Gauchos (14-10, 1-2) took a 3-0 lead after the first inning. The Gauchos added another run in the fourth before Hawaii exploded for five runs in the bottom of the inning. After an error allowed Hawaii to score its first run of the day, Ka’ena Keliinoi ripped a three-run homer to center field to tie the game up. Hawaii took the lead later in the inning off Izabella Martinez’s RBI single. UC Santa Barbara tied the game again in the top of the fifth on a solo home run, but Hawaii responded when Rachel Sabourin and Chloe Borges each hit two-run homer for the Wahine.
The second game featured far less offense, as Hawaii pitcher Brianna Lopez stifled the Gauchos lineup, allowing just three hits in a shutout while striking out seven. The Wahine got her the lead in the third on an RBI double by Keliinoi, then added another run as Cira Bartolotti hit a solo shot in the fifth. Martinez put an exclamation point on the win in the sixth, hitting a three-run homer to left center.
Hawaii tops SDSU in water polo
The Rainbow Wahine water polo team breezed past San Diego State, winning 16-8 on Saturday at the Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.
The Rainbow Wahine (15-2) scored four goals in the opening period, getting goals from Bia Mantellato Dias, Jordan Wedderburn, Emma van Rossum and Alba Bonamusa Boix. The Wahine scored four goals in every period, never letting the Aztecs (7-13) to get the deficit under three after the first period.
Wedderburn and Mantellato Dias each finished with four goals to lead the Rainbow Wahine. Hawaii also got two goals from van Rossum, and scores from Bonamusa Boix, Libby Gault, Tara Logan, Roni Perlman, Lot Stertefeld and Alia Burlock.
Hawaii athletes shine at Cardinal Classic
The University of Hawaii track and field team claimed three event wins as part of a strong showing at the Cardinal Classic in Stanford, Calif.
Montserrat Montanes i Arbo claimed the first win for Hawaii, taking first place in the hammer throw with a toss of 57.36 meters. Lilian Turban earned the second, winning the high jump with a mark of 1.79 meters. Hawaii then took first and third in the discus, with Hallee Mohr notching a throw of 48.26 meters, while teammate Victoria Solheim recorded a mark of 45.20 meters.
Waianae’s Kaleipou passes test
Waianae’s Dalis Kaleiopu earned the fourth win of his young boxing career with a unanimous decision over Jonathan Perez at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif.
Kaleiopu (4-0, 3 KOs) won every round of his first six-round bout and the experienced Perez (40-35, 32 KOs) was deducted two points for infractions. Kaleiopu was placed on the main televised card when Zurdo Ramirez fell out of the main event for missing weight by 12 pounds.
