Rainbow Wahine move up in softball polls

Three wins in Utah last week gave the University of Hawaii softball team a bump in one of the national polls released Tuesday.

The Rainbow Wahine (32-4, 6-2 Western Athletic Conference) rose a spot to No. 14 in the USA Today/NFCA coaches poll. UH remained 19th in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. The Wahine also moved up to No. 10 in the NCAA RPI this week.

UH went 3-1 last week with wins at Utah, Utah Valley and a doubleheader split with Brigham Young.

The Wahine return home for a three-game WAC series against Louisiana Tech in their next-to-last home series of the season. Friday’s game starts at 6 p.m., with a doubleheader set for 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Hawaii-Hilo takes seventh in tourney

Hawaii-Hilo finished in seventh place on Tuesday at the Sonoma State Women’s Spring Invitational at Foxtail Country Club in Rohnert Park, Calif.

The Vulcans’ Erika Morihiro, who was tied for second after the first round, shot an 86 to finish tied for 19th at 16-over 160.

Central Oklahoma’s Chaney Uhles won medalist honors at 5-over 149.

Grand Canyon won the team title.

Brakling hired as HPU assistant

Former Hawaii Pacific volleyball standout Flavia Brakling was hired by the school as an assistant coach for the women’s volleyball team.

She was a two-time Division II All-American outside hitter for the Sea Warriors.

She will work under HPU head coach Daryl Kapis.

HPU sweeps BYUH in softball

Nicole Morrow went 4-for-4, and Melissa Kirby and Breanne Patton combined on a five-hitter to lead Hawaii Pacific past Brigham Young-Hawaii in the first game of a softball doubleheader sweep on Tuesday at Okita Field.

Patton pitched a complete-game one-hitter in a 3-2 win in the second game for the Sea Warriors (25-17, 16-10 Pacific West Conference).

Tiffanee Frampton homered for the Seasiders (11-16, 6-15) in the second game.