University of Hawaii softball coach Bob Coolen hoped the Rainbow Wahine would be hungry to see some live pitching by the end of a full week of practice.

When game day arrived, the Wahine feasted at the plate in a 16-0 rout of UC Riverside on Friday to open a three-game Big West Conference series.

An eight-run first inning propelled UH to its second-highest run total of the season and the No. 16/21 Rainbow Wahine (29-7, 7-0 BWC) extended their winning streak to nine.

The game ended in the fifth inning due to the mercy rule, giving UH pitcher Kaia Parnaby a relatively short night in the circle as she improved to 26-3. Parnaby struck out nine and walked one while throwing her 10th shutout of the season and 29th in her career.

The week leading up to the series opener included hitting drills in the first few practices. But Coolen didn’t pitch live in batting practice until Thursday, and the Wahine responded by pounding out 15 hits, including two home runs, in four innings on Friday.

"They were hitting the ball well (in practice) and I want that hunger when we go into every game," Coolen said. "Tonight it was contagious. We finally saw one through nine and it was a contagious effort."

UH catcher Kayla Wartner helped make it a quick night behind the plate by going

3-for-3 and opening the onslaught with a home run in the first inning.

"I was just trying to go up there and not think too much, because I’ve been doing that a lot since conference (started)," Wartner said. "I really just wanted to start on a clean slate and just hit the ball. I was just looking for anything in my zone and just drive it."

UH sent 14 batters to the plate in an eight-run first inning that included two-run singles by Jazmine Zamora and Sharla Kliebenstein.

UCR had walked Leisha Li’ili’i to load the bases for Zamora, who lined a single into right center. Keiki Carlos scored from third and Jessica Iwata came in from second, sliding to the inside of the plate to evade the tag.

"Those things are unteachable, those things are just inherent," Coolen said of Iwata’s slide. "That could have been a second out, but it didn’t happen and we plated more runs."

UCR starter Ashley Ercolano and reliever Sophie Slagle combined to throw 66 pitches in the first inning as UH strung together seven hits and took advantage of three walks.

Wartner brought in her second run of the first inning when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and her leadoff single in the third ignited a five-run outburst. Brynne Buchanan contributed a two-run single in the third and Li’ili’i punctuated the blowout with a three-run homer in the fourth.

"We have crazy potential with our bats and I don’t think we were living up to the potential we have. So this was a good peek at what we can do," Wartner said.