After going five games without a home run, the Hawaii softball team relied on the long ball in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader with Columbia.

UH pitcher Kanani Aina Cabrales powered the Rainbow Wahine in the circle and at the plate, striking out a season-high 13 and drilling the second of the team’s three home runs in a 5-1 victory at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

UH rallied from a two-run deficit in the finale to force extra innings, but Columbia scored three runs in the top of the eighth, then held off a Wahine rally and UH closed the nonconference schedule with a 7-6 loss to the Lions.

Following a grueling stretch of 14 games in 14 days, the Rainbow Wahine (19-14) have some time to catch their breath heading into spring break.

They’ll have nine days to recharge before opening Big West play on March 27 against UC Riverside.

Two days after rallying to a 4-3 win in eight innings against the Lions, the Rainbow Wahine jumped ahead early on Tuesday when their first two hits of the night escaped the ballpark.

Heather Morales gave UH the lead with a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning and Aina Cabrales lined the second pitch of the bottom of the third over the center-field fence for the first hit of her UH career.

Kayla Wartner hit her team-leading eighth home run of the season in the fifth to cap the scoring.

Aina Cabrales held Columbia to five hits, walked none and threw 76 of her 100 pitches for strikes.

Columbia pitcher Tessa Kroll kept the Wahine in the ballpark for the first six innings in the finale as the Lions took a 4-2 lead.

UH cut the lead to one on Sarina Jaramillo’s single in the sixth and Leisha Li’ili’i led off the seventh with a tying home run.

But UH stranded the potential winning run on second and Columbia reclaimed the lead with a three-run eighth.

With the international tiebreaker in effect, both teams started the eighth inning with a runner on second base and Columbia reclaimed the lead on Tonia Wu’s RBI double down the third-base line.

Wu eventually scored on a wild pitch and Kayla Shimoda extended the lead to 7-4 with a looping single into left field.

With Kiani Wong running at second, Keiki Carlos led off the bottom of the eighth with a two-run homer to left center to bring the Wahine within a run.

But Kroll got a strikeout and two groundouts to give the Lions (3-9) a split of the doubleheader.

Aina Cabrales entered the game in the second inning in relief of Brittany Hitchcock and took the loss.

Game 1

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

Tonia Wu and Kayla Shimoda. Kanani Aina Cabrales and Rachel Lack. W–Aina Cabrales. L–Wu.

Leading hitters–Columbia: Kerry Cook, RBI; Wu, 2-3. Hawaii: Kayla Wartner, HR, 2 RBIs; Heather Morales, 2-3, HR, 2 RBIs; Aina Cabrales, HR.

Game 2

At Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium

Tessa Kroll and Liz Caggiano. Brittany Hitchcock, Kanani Aina Cabrales (2) and Lindsey Willmon. W–Kroll. L–Aina Cabrales.

Leading hitters–Columbia: Alix Cook, 3-5, 2B, 2 RBIs; Tonia Wu, 2B, RBI; Mackensy Lakian, 2-3, 2B, RBI; Jackie Li, 2-4, RBI;

Hawaii: Keiki Carlos, 3-4, HR, 2 RBIs; Leisha Li’ili’i, 2-3, HR; Sarina Jaramillo, 2-4, 2 RBI.

Upcoming schedule

March 27: UC Riverside, 6 p.m.
March 28: UC Riverside (2), 4 p.m.
April 3: at Cal State Fullerton
April 4: at Cal State Fullerton (2)
April 10: Long Beach State, 6 p.m.
April 11: Long Beach State (2), 4 p.m.