An unexpected day off gave Kaia Parnaby a chance to rest her arm and renew her perspective.
After the announcement that Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader was rained out, the University of Hawaii pitcher accompanied her sister to do some volunteer work with the Special Olympics in Hawaii Kai.
The weather cleared on Monday and Parnaby attributed another record-tying performance to her afternoon away from the stadium.
“For me, I think it may have been a blessing in disguise,” Parnaby said of the cancellations.
“To be able to go out and see other things just really put in perspective what I have. I came out today with kind of a new attitude to life and to the game just to go out there and take everything for what it’s worth and don’t take anything for granted.”
For the second time in four games, Parnaby struck out 15 to tie the UH single-game strikeout record and allowed just one hit in the No. 21/24 Rainbow Wahine softball team’s 4-1 win over Syracuse on Monday.
Parnaby gave up a solo homer to Danielle Chitkowski in the second inning, then retired 17 of the next 18 batters she faced and struck out 10 of the last 12. She struck out the side in the seventh to complete her second consecutive one-hitter.
Brooke Wilkins, Parnaby’s mentor in Australia, also struck out 15 twice in 1994.
“I always looked up to her, growing up,” Parnaby said. “It’s just something that happens … and I didn’t really realize it until they came out and told me.”
UH catcher Kayla Wartner called Parnaby’s 106 pitches and could tell early the left-hander was locked in.
“All of her pitches were hitting the spots,” Wartner said. “You can tell right off the bat when she’s warming up, or coming out here, you can tell how she’s going to do. She was in the zone, she was ready.”
Wartner also provided the go-ahead run that helped Parnaby improve to 15-2.
After Chitkowski’s homer gave Syracuse (5-10) the lead, UH tied the score in the bottom of the inning on Kaile Nakao’s RBI single. Wartner then led off the third with a home run that sailed over the scoreboard in right field.
The bottom third of the order delivered again in the sixth to extend the lead. Zamora lined an RBI double into left-center and Nakao, who came into the game with one hit and one RBI this season, doubled to left to score Zamora from second.
“It was definitely nice getting a couple of hits,” said Nakao, whose parents made the trip from California. “I hadn’t done that well this whole season. I had nothing to lose, just go out and see the ball and hit the ball and just go back to basics.”
The Rainbow Wahine (17-5) continue their weeklong stretch of games against East Carolina today at 6 p.m.
Hawaii 4, Syracuse 1
At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium
syracuse 010 000 0 – 1 1 2
hawaii 011 002 x — 4 8 0
Lindsay Taylor, Stacy Kuwik (6) and Ashley Dimon. Kaia Parnaby and Kayla Wartner. W—Parnaby. L—Taylor.
Leading hitters—Syracuse: Danielle Chitkowski HR, run, RBI. Hawaii: Kayla Wartner 2-4, HR, run, RBI; Jazmine Zamora 2-3, 2b, 2 runs, RBI; Kaile Nakao 2-3, 2b, 2 RBIs.
