Bethea powers Hawaii to sweep in softball

Apr. 21—Mya'Liah Bethea hit home runs in each of Hawaii's games, leading the Rainbow Wahine softball team to a sweep of its doubleheader with Cal State Bakersfield and a series sweep on Saturday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Mya'Liah Bethea hit home runs in each of Hawaii's games, leading the Rainbow Wahine softball team to a sweep of its doubleheader with Cal State Bakersfield and a series sweep on Saturday at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

In Saturday's first game, Hawaii was victorious 7-2. The Rainbow Wahine (18-19, 11-5 Big West ) drew first blood in the third, as Malia Xiao Gin and Izabella Martinez each hit RBI singles to give Hawaii a 2-0 lead. After the Roadrunners (4-36, 2-16 ) got back a run in the top of the fourth, Bethea launched a two-run home run to push Hawaii's lead to 4-1. The Roadrunners earned another run in the fifth, but Hawaii scored three runs in the sixth for the game's final margin of victory. Kaena Keliinoi picked up an RBI after reaching on a fielding error, before Martinez doubled to right to bring home two more runs.

The Hawaii offense stayed hot in the second game, winning 8-4. Chloe Borges got Hawaii on the board in the second, singling up the middle to score Maya Ichimura. Piper Neri was on third after the Borges single, then sprinted home after the Roadrunners committed an error on a pickoff attempt of Borges. Bethea then stepped up and launched her second home run of the day, scoring Borges. Bethea homered in every game of the series, after hitting a grand slam in Friday's game. Hawaii tacked on three runs in the fourth inning, as Gin, Martinez and Haley Johnson drove in runs, and Dallas Millwood drove in another in the sixth. The Roadrunners finally scored a run in the fifth, then made a late surge in the seventh, scoring three runs.