The University of Hawaii softball team is on an absolute tear, extending their winning streak to eight games with a dominant doubleheader sweep against UC Riverside on Friday. The Rainbow Wahine showcased a perfect blend of stellar pitching and explosive power at the plate, cruising to victories of 5-1 and 6-1 in Riverside, California.
In the opening game, Taryn Irimata was in complete control from the circle. She fired a complete-game six-hitter, walking none and striking out six batters to keep the Highlanders off balance all afternoon. Her performance set the tone for a potent offense that found the long ball early. Jamie McGaughey, Millie Fidge, and Milan Ah Yat each went deep, providing all the run support Irimata would need.
The second game was more of the same, with Maryn Macneil stepping in and delivering a five-hitter of her own. She walked just one batter but didn't record a strikeout, relying on her defense to do the work. The offense, however, was even more electric. McGaughey had a monster game at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored, and three RBIs. Fidge also continued her power surge, launching a two-run homer to help secure the sweep.
With the wins, Hawaii improves to 28-18 overall and an impressive 20-6 in Big West play. They'll conclude the regular season against UC Riverside (6-37, 4-22) on Saturday morning before heading to the Big West Championship as the No. 2 seed, earning a valuable first-round bye. The tournament gets underway Wednesday in Fullerton, California, and the Rainbow Wahine are rolling with serious momentum.
In other Hawaii softball news, the beach volleyball team also had reason to celebrate. Julia Lawrenz and Izadora Stedile were honored with the AVCA Top Flight Award on Friday. The duo, both from Curitiba, Brazil, posted an outstanding 21-7 record while playing at the top flight. The award recognizes pairs who compete in at least 15 matches and win 75% of their contests at that flight. Lawrenz and Stedile were the only UH pair to appear in every match together this season, and they also earned AVCA All-America second-team honors on Thursday.