The University of Hawaiʻi softball team lost a close 4-3 game to San Diego on April 16 in a non-conference matchup at Reggie Smith Softball Field. The contest lasted nine innings, marking the longest game of the season for both teams.
This extended game highlights the competitive nature of both squads as they approach the final stretch of their seasons. For Hawaiʻi, it was their longest outing since a ten-inning win against Cal State Fullerton in May last year.
After three scoreless innings, Hawaiʻi took a brief lead in the fourth when Maycen Gibbs hit a two-run home run. San Diego responded by tying the game in the fifth inning. In the sixth, Gibbs reached base on an error and later scored on Milan Ah Yat’s groundout to give Hawaiʻi another short-lived lead. Michelle Delgado from San Diego tied it again with a solo home run in the bottom half of that inning.
The teams remained tied through eight innings until Kaitlyn Wynia’s fielder’s choice allowed Seleny Chavez to score from third base for San Diego’s walk-off victory. Gibbs led Hawaiʻi offensively with three hits and two runs batted in. Pitchers Millie Fidge, Macy Brandl, and Maryn Macneil all contributed on the mound for Hawaiʻi, with Macneil taking the loss after pitching more than two innings.
San Diego pitcher Charlie Johnson threw all nine innings for her team and earned her eighth win of the season. The result ended San Diego’s seven-game losing streak while snapping Hawaiʻi’s three-game winning streak.
Looking ahead, Rainbow Wahine will quickly return to action as they begin a three-game conference series at UC San Diego starting Friday afternoon.
