HONOLULU, O'ahu –  UC San Diego softball split a conference double header with Hawai'i's Rainbow Wahine on Friday afternoon in Honolulu, O'ahu. With the outcomes, the Tritons move to 6-7 (3-2 BWC), as Hawaii shifts to 5-6 (5-3 BWC).
 
GAME 1: UC San Diego 4, Hawai'i 6
Hawai'i jumped on the board in the bottom of the third inning. A leadoff double led to a 0-1 ball game for UC San Diego. 
 
Triton starting pitcher Robyn Wampler found trouble in the fourth. After fanning the first batter of the inning, the senior issued back-to-back walks. Hawai'i capitalized with consecutive hits, two which were doubles -- the first scoring two and the second bringing in one.
 
Sophomore Kaia Simpson relieved Wampler with one out retired and runners in scoring position. Simpson experienced similar problems against a tough Hawai'i lineup. Another run found home plate after a passed ball and an additional RBI single capped a five-run inning for the Rainbow Wahine.
 
The Tritons were shut out through the first four innings of play. In the fifth, senior Sherriah Harrington doubled to score sophomore Sophia Real who reached on her third walk of the day. Then, redshirt junior Bobbi Aguirre singled to right field to bring in Harrington shifting the score, 2-6.

Illustrating its resiliency as it has all year, UC San Diego cut the deficit to two when Aguirre took one deep, tallying her third RBI of the contest and second home run of 2021.
 
Wampler was credited with the loss (3-4). She got through 3.2 innings of play, allowed six runs, three earned, on four hits and fanned three. Simpson tossed the remaining 2.1. In 10 batters, Simpson struck out four.
 
GAME 2: UC San Diego 5, Hawai'i 1
UC San Diego returned with vengeance in game two. The top of the order produced a run in the first inning. Harrington singled up the middle to score junior Keila Bosinger who was beaned two batters before.
 
The Tritons weren't done there. Left-handed pitcher Gabby Williams contributed on the offensive end, belting a solo home run in the top of the second.
 
The blue and gold proved to be in favor of the third as well, as Williams helped herself out with a single through the right side to plate Harrington. Junior Clarissa Reynoso's clutch two-out piece of hitting scored another two Tritons, increasing the advantage 5-0.  

Williams was solid in the circle. She went 4.1 innings, allowed five hits and one earned run. She threw three K's before she was replaced by Wampler. The lefty, earning her second appearance of the day, hurld the final 2.2 innings and retired the next five batters in order.
 
Hawai'i threatened in the seventh after two batters reached base, but the next three were turned away to give the Tritons the victory.
 
QUOTABLE
"I was happy to get a win but we are not playing consistently on all fronts," said softball head coach Patti Gerckens. "We need to have better at bats up at the plate, better defense on the field, and dependable pitching. I know we grew tonight as a team and I expect to come back even stronger tomorrow."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Friday's doubleheader was the first softball matchup between the Tritons and Rainbow Wahine.
• Sherriah Harrington improved her hitting streak to 10 games on the year.
• Sophia Real was walked three times in game one, a season high.
• Mikaila Pancino was a perfect 3-for-3 with three singles in the first contest; she finished 4-for-7 on the day. 
• Gabby Williams has notched three home runs in her first seven at bats as a Triton.   
• UC San Diego committed five errors between both games, four in the first. 

UP NEXT
UC San Diego and Hawai'i will fight for the series on Saturday, April 3. Game times are 9 p.m. PT and 11 p.m. at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium in Honolulu, O'ahu.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
 
Return To Sport… Safely
In order for UC San Diego scholar-athletes to be permitted to return to training and competition safely and within federal, state, local and university guidelines, the athletic department implemented a number of measures designed to complement and enhance the university's highly-successful Return To Learn program.  Notable actions include being physically distanced when practical, including during out-of-season training sessions; wearing masks, except when undergoing physically strenuous exercise; and maintaining proper hygiene.  Athletes, coaches and staff are testing at a higher frequency than the campus population, teams adhere to CDC, NCAA and Big West Conference guidelines and department officials participate in regular meetings with conference and university-affiliated physicians and the UC San Diego emergency operations staff.