The University of Hawaii softball team’s quick day at the ballpark left ESPNU with some time to fill.

The network allotted 2 hours for UH’s game at New Mexico State on Friday, which aired nationally on a delayed basis. The Rainbow Wahine took a little more than 90 minutes to finish off a 9-1 five-inning victory to open the Western Athletic Conference series.

"Everyone’s going out to dinner to watch it," UH head coach Bob Coolen said in a phone interview from Las Cruces, N.M.

Kelly Majam and Jessica Iwata hit home runs, and UH pitcher Stephanie Ricketts struck out nine while holding the Aggies to two hits in the mercy-rule win at New Mexico State Softball Complex.

The series concludes today with a doubleheader, starting at noon Hawaii time.

The Wahine (27-3, 3-1 WAC), ranked 16th and 18th this week, took the lead when Majam scored on a throwing error in the first inning.

The lead grew to 4-0 in the third when Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu delivered an RBI double and Majam hit her team-leading seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot.

Iwata later highlighted a five-run outburst in the fourth inning with a three-run homer off NMSU reliever Alex Newman. Freshman starter Karysta Donisthorpe took the loss for the Aggies (18-17, 0-4).

"Everyone was feeling real confident at the plate, we made good adjustments against both of their pitchers and we were just putting pressure on the defense," Coolen said. "The kids were well rested and excited about being on national TV."

Ricketts, who threw a six-inning no-hitter against San Jose State in her previous appearance, held NMSU without a hit for 31/3 innings until Valerie Swedberg singled to right. Brittany Clifton’s double scored Swedberg, but Ricketts (17-2) retired NMSU in order in the fifth to end the game, and only then did Coolen feel secure.

"I knew the game wasn’t over at 9-0," he said. "Our first game there two years ago was 11-9, and it was home run after home run after home run. The ball just flies. There’s no way you can let your guard down there."

Coolen altered the starting nine for the first time this season when Brynne Buchanan replaced an injured Sharla Kliebenstein in right field. Kliebenstein suffered a broken hand in practice this week and is expected to miss four to six weeks, which would keep her out for most of the remaining WAC schedule.

Buchanan, a junior primarily used as a pinch runner in her career, entered the game with one at-bat this season and struck out in her first plate appearance on Friday. She then walked and scored in the fourth inning.

Kliebenstein, a sophomore, had been hitting .173 with 21 RBIs and was tied for the team lead in home runs with six. Prior to Friday’s game she had started all 84 games in the past two seasons, 55 at catcher last year and 29 in right field this season.

WAC standings

Friday
San Jose State 4, Louisiana Tech 2, 10 inn.
San Jose State 7, Louisiana Tech 0
Nevada 8, Utah State 7, 9 inn.
Nevada 3, Utah State 1
Fresno State 3, BYU 1
Fresno State 10, BYU 9M

At Las Cruces, N.M.

Stephanie Ricketts and Kayla Wartner. Karysta Donisthorpe, Alex Newman (4) and Brittany Clifton. W–Ricketts. L–Donisthorpe. Leading hitters–Hawaii: Kelly Majam, 2-2, 3 runs, HR, 3 RBIs; Jessica Iwata, 2-3, HR, 3 RBIs; Leisha Li’ili’i, 2B; Makani Duhaylonsod-Kaleimamahu, 2B, RBI. NMSU: Clifton, 2B, RBI.