After giving up a grand slam, CSUN responded by scoring five unanswered runs in a 7-4 win over the University of Hawaii softball team tonight in the opening game of a Big West series at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

CSUN first baseman Ariana Wassmer erased UH’s 4-2 lead with a two-run home run with two out in the top of the fifth inning. The Matadors (22-16, 2-2 Big West) scratched out the go-ahead run in the sixth and added two more in the seventh to send UH (17-20, 1-3) to its third straight loss.

After UH catcher Rachel Lack gave UH the lead with her grand slam in the bottom of the third, CSUN’s Daphne Pofek recovered to shut out the Rainbow Wahine the rest of way. Pofek (9-4) gave up six hits, struck out six and walked four in a complete-game victory.

UH right-hander Brittany Hitchcock surrendered 11 hits, struck out three and walked none and fell to 7-10.

The series concludes with a “military appreciation day” doubleheader on Saturday starting at 2 p.m.

CSUN leadoff hitter Savannah Horvath singled up the middle on the game’s first pitch and stole second. Taylor Glover, the nation’s third leading hitter at .508 entering the week, then reached on an error and also stole second.

After a strikeout, Karlie Habitz singled through the left side to drive in Horvath and Glover scored on Wassmer’s groundout to give the Matadors a 2-0 lead.

UH’s string of scoreless innings reached 19 going into the third inning before the Wahine put together a two-out rally. Nicole Lopez extended the inning with a single, Keiki Carlos lined a double to left center and Heather Morales fell behind two strikes before working a walk.

Lack then drove a pitch to right center and clearing the fence for her fifth home run of the season and first grand slam of her UH career.

Wassmer tied the game with two out in the top of the fifth with a two-run homer to left field.

In the top of the sixth, Tara Kliebenstein, sister of former UH player Sharla Kliebenstein, singled to right and advanced on an error. She moved up on Horvath’s single and scored the go-ahead run on Glover’s grounder to shortstop.

CSUN added two more runs in the seventh when pinch-runner Taylor Nate scored from third on Mackenzie Babbitt’s ground out to first. The throw home was wild and Madalyne Handy came around to score the game’s final run.