UH softball team drops series opener to Cal State Northridge
Cal State Northridge struck early and held off Hawaii’s late surge in an 11-6 win in the opening game of a Big West series on Friday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
The Matadors scored four runs in the top of the first inning and led 11-0 going into the bottom of the fifth.
UH extended the game with a five-run rally highlighted by two-run home runs off the bats of Kayla Wartner and Sarina Jaramillo. Lindsey Willmon added a solo shot in the seventh, but the Matadors doused UH’s comeback bid to earn their 30th win of the season.
UH (20-25, 5-11 Big West) closes the home schedule with its senior day doubleheader on Saturday starting at 2 p.m.
CSUN freshman Taylor Glover didn’t contribute any of the Matadors’ 12 hits on Friday, but drove in three runs for the Matadors (30-22, 7-9). Pitcher Briana Elder held UH to one hit going into the fifth inning before UH’s five-run outburst in the fifth.
The Matadors strung together a walk and three consecutive hits with two out in the top of the first inning to take a 4-0 lead.
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CSUN opened the second inning with two infield singles and a double steal. A groundout to shortstop and Glover’s sacrifice fly scored both runners and pushed the Matadors’ lead to 6-0.
CSUN batted around in the third and scored three more runs with two out and added two more in the fifth to stretch the lead to 11-0.
Wartner broke up the shutout with a homer to left-center and Jaramillo extended the game with her homer with two out.
CSUN reliever Daphne Pofek gave up an RBI single to Kaile Nakao later in the fifth, but escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth. Willmon homered to lead off the seventh, but the game ended with a double play.