Hawaiʻi came out firing on all cylinders to begin the OUTRIGGER Rainbow Wāhine Classic at Rainbow Wāhine Softball Stadium, as the Rainbow Wāhine softball team run-ruled Niagara 9-0 in five innings Thursday night.

Izabella Martinez and Cira Bartolotti both hit home runs for UH (14-7) and Maya Nakamura finished the game a double short of the cycle, going 3-for-3 at the plate with a career-high five RBIs.

“Overall, I felt very comfortable in the box,” Nakamura said. “Fortunately, we were able to face all three pitchers last game [against Niagara on Sunday], so nothing too unfamiliar. Just looking for good pitches to swing at.”

UH starter Key-annah Campbell-Pua (5-2) faced the minimum 15 batters over five innings, allowing only one hit with three strikeouts and no walks.

“At first, (Campbell-Pua) said her rise wasn’t working but then she caught it in the third inning, so it gave her another pitch to work with,” Coolen said. “Drop curve was working, she put in a couple of changeups — couple of them were good, a couple of them were short. It’s just a matter of working all your pitches in a game like this where you’re trying to get the game over in five innings because it’s a rule — eight-run rule — and we’re going to go after it every single game.”

The lone Niagara hit came in the second inning when Shayna Myshrall was thrown out from center field by Bartolotti after rounding past the first base bag.

“[Bartolotti] loves doing that,” Coolen said. “They take even a baby turn and she’s just all set to throw that ball.”

Hawaiʻi scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning on a base hit by Nakamura and a two-run home run by Martinez. The Rainbow Wāhine added three more runs in the second inning with Bartolotti’s first home run of the season and a triple hit down the left field line by Nakamura that plated two more runs.

“Off the bat, I was thinking a good two bases,” Nakamura said. “Then I saw — I don’t know if she missed it, it was like a bit of a scuffle in left field — so I was like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna send it.’ Off my own judgment, I thought I could make it so I went for it.”

Kaʻena Keliinoi drove in another run for UH in the bottom of the fourth inning before Nakamura hit a home run to center field that made it 9-0 Rainbow Wāhine. With the run-ahead rule of a team having an eight-run lead through five innings, UH was able to end the game 70 minutes after first pitch.

Niagara starter Cara Leone (0-3) went 1⅓ innings, allowing six runs on five hits.

Tournament play continues today for the Rainbow Wāhine as they play Fordham at 6 p.m. HST. Brianna Lopez will start in the circle for UH on Friday and against Iowa State in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, according to Coolen.

“She’s going to have to learn how to go back-to-back days and it’s going to be all about conference,” Coolen said. “She’s going to probably be pitching two out of the three games in conference, so this would be a good test for her.”