The University of Hawaii softball team opened the Bank of Hawaii Invitational with a 5-1 win over Western Kentucky University tonight at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Home runs by Kelly Majam and Keiki Carlos helped power the UH offense and pitcher Kaia Parnaby struck out nine in a complete-game victory.

Majam had a sizable cheering section from Liholiho Elementary School, where she’s student teaching this semester, and ignited the No. 20/22 Rainbow Wahine with a triple to lead off the bottom of the first inning.

Kayla Wartner followed with an RBI single and advanced to third on a single by Jessica Iwata. The duo then executed a double steal to give UH a 2-0 lead.

Carlos pushed the lead to 4-0 with a two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the third and Majam hit a solo blast to center in the fifth.

Parnaby took a shutout into the sixth inning before WKU loaded the bases with nobody out and Amanda Thomas delivered an RBI single. Katrina Metoyer then lined out to UH first baseman Leisha Li’ili’i to start a double play and Parnaby ended the inning with her eighth strikeout of the game.

The Bank of Hawaii Invitational continues Saturday with UH facing Campbell at 3 p.m. and Memphis at 5. The tournament concludes with bracket play on Sunday.