SAND ISLAND, Hawai`i—The Hawaii Hilo softball team added two victories to the win column on Saturday but came up just short of making it three wins in one day at BYU-Hawaii.

The Vulcans won a 10-inning completion game to start off the day (7-5), claimed a 6-0 shutout, and then came up just inches short in falling to 3-2 in a six inning contest to end a long day.

The 3-2 loss snapped a 10-game winning streak for the red-hot Vulcans. They now return home with a 24-20 overall record and a 15-13 mark in the Pacific West Conference. BYU-Hawaii is now 11-27 overall and 8-18 in conference action.

Game One (continuation of Friday game): UH Hilo 7, BYU-Hawaii 5 (10 innings)
In the game that was halted on Friday because of darkness, UHH got on the board first when pitcher Billi Derleth drove home Ishii with a single to make it 1-0. But BYU-H scored three runs in the third inning, fueled in part by a Katie Didonna home run. The Vulcans got one run back in the top of the fourth when Danielle Pulido doubled and later came home on a throwing error.

The Seasiders scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning on three hits, chasing Derleth from the game and bringing in Cyanne Fernandez. Fernandez put out the fire, but the Vulcans couldn't get anything going in the next two innings and a half against Taiana Williamson.

It looked like it was going to be a doubleheader split in the top of the seventh, as Williamson got two quick outs and was just one pitch away from the win. But Cristina Menjivar kept things going with a double, and Fernandez helped herself with a single. Pulido followed with a walk, and Kacie Freudenberger drew a walk to bring home the first run (5-3). Freshman drama queen (in a good way) Brinell Kaleikini added to her clutch reputation by drilling a two-run double to tie the game. She almost drove in the potential game winner for the third weekend in a row, but Freudenberger was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Both teams went down in order in their next two at-bats. BYU-H doubled in the eighth, but Fernandez got out of the jam and the game was called. It picked up on Saturday, with both teams going down in order in the ninth inning, moving the game into international tie-breaker territory.

Beginning the inning with a runner on second, Kaleikini drove in the winning runs yet again with a home run to dead centerfield. It was the freshman's fourth homer of the year, three of them to decide games.

The Seasiders couldn't score in the bottom of the tenth, even with a runner on second to begin the inning. A sacrifice bunt moved that runner to third, but Fernandez was will hot, mowing down the next two hitters.

Fernandez got the win in relief to improve to 6-3 on the year. She pitched 6.1 innings over two days, allowing only two hits, no runs, one walk and she struck out six. Kaleikini led the hit parade with two hits and four RBI. Fernandez and Kristen Ishii also had two hits.

Game Two: UH Hilo 6, BYU-Hawaii 0
As the first game of Saturday's doubleheader began, Fernandez and Kaleikini picked up right where they left off just a few minutes before.

Fernandez headed rback out to the pitcher's circle after the completion of the suspended game and began getting Seasiders out again. Meanwhile, Kaleikini gave her room to work with by hitting a two-run homer in the top of the second inning, essentially hitting back-to-back ding dongs, her fourth and fifth of the year.

The Vulcans led 2-0 until the fifth inning, who they added three more counters. After a walk and a hit batter, Bailey Gaspar laced a double to score both. UHH would add another run on a walk in the inning and would add one more in the sixth on a wild pitch, giving them a healthy 6-0 cushion.

Fernandez just kept putting zeros on the board and did not allow a runner past second base the entire game. She improved to 7-3 with the win, allowing just five hits, two walks and she fanned two.

UH Hilo had seven hits in the game by seven different players.
 
Game Three: BYU-Hawaii 3, UH Hilo 2 (six innings)
BYU-Hawaii salvaged a win in the series by rapping out nine timely hits and  throwing out the potential tying run for the final out of the game.

The Seasiders took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a RBI-double by Alanna Anderson. The Vulcans answered in the top of the third the same way with a double by Gaspar, but the Seasiders countered with a two-run third inning,lacing three hits to take a 3-1 lead.

UHH got one back in the fourth when Pulido doubled and eventually scored on Amanda Lara's bunt single. After both teams went down in order in the fifth, the Vulcans had one final chance in the pre-determined time frame (visitors had to catch a flight).

Trailing 3-2 and known for comebacks, the Vulcans gave it one last valiant effort. Maria Steadmon kicked things off with a single, and Lara got on base with yet another bunt hit. With two outs Kawano drilled a single to center field, sending Steadmon charging around third base but she was thrown out at the plate by BYUH's Roxane Dennis to end the game.

Steadmon, Lara and Kawano had two hits each in the game for UHH. Leah Gonzales took the loss to drop to 9-6.

The Vulcans will head to Oahu on May 5 and 6 to take on Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific to wrap up the 2017 season.