Playing its first Big West softball series in 16 years, Hawaii earned the sweep of Cal State Northridge behind the stellar play of Leisha Li'ili'i and Kaia Parnaby, the Big West Softball Field Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.
Li'ili'i Homers Three Times In Big West Opening Series
Sophomore Leisha Li'ili'i (Kane'ohe, O'ahu/Castle HS) secured the Big West Softball Field Player of the Week award as the Hawaii slugger had a home run in each of the three wins against Cal State Northridge.
Li'ili'i posted team-highs with a .556 batting average, .667 on-base percentage and 1.667 slugging percentage. She also topped the team with four runs scored, five hits and RBI as she played a role in nine of the 19 runs that UH compiled during the series.
The first baseman began the series with a dramatic two-run blast over the left field fence in the top of the seventh, lifting the 'Bows to a 5-4 win over the Matadors. She finished the game 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double, home run and three RBI.
Li'ili'i roped a line drive home run to straight-away center field to tie the score at 1-1 in the top of the second of game two. She later walked and scored UH's fifth and final run in a 5-3 victory. Li'ili'i finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
In the series finale, Li'ili'i notched her third home run against CSUN, seventh of the season and 17th of her young career to help the 'Bows to a 9-3 triumph. She also recorded a pair of walks – one intentionally.
Others nominated: Jillian Andersen (Cal Poly); Kathryn Pilpil (UC Santa Barbara); Amy Moore (Pacific)
Parnaby Wins Fourth Pitcher of the Week Award
Senior Kaia Parnaby (Bilgola Plateau, NSW, Australia/NBSC Freshwater Senior Campus) collected her fourth Big West Softball Pitcher of the Week honor as the Hawaii lefty went 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA against Cal State Northridge in the Big West series opener for both clubs.
Parnaby, who has thrown 184.2 innings out of UH's 223.2 innings played this season, pitched all 21 innings in the sweep of the Matadors.
She fanned 13 in the series-opening 5-4 win, marking the eighth time this season that she accumulated 10 or more batters in a game.
Parnaby returned in the second game of the doubleheader to lead UH to the 5-3 victory. She allowed seven hits and only one earned run to go along with five strikeouts.
In Sunday's finale, a 9-3 win, Parnaby did not walk a batter and gave up two earned runs in her third straight complete game outing. She yielded a series-high nine hits but evaded any big innings from the CSUN offense and commanded her sixth straight victory in the circle.
Others nominated: Jordan Yates (Cal Poly); Carly Mortensen (Pacific)