ST. GEORGE, Utah—Coming into the 2018 Hawai`i Hilo softball season, head coach Callen Perreira knew that he had better depth than a year ago. He just didn't know that he would have to utilize it so early in the year and so often.

Playing without starters Mari Kawano, Kacie Freudenberger and Billi Derleth (all starters, injured), Perreira's depth paid off on the final day of the Dixie State Easton Classic during a 12-6 win over Western New Mexico at the Canyons Softball Complex. The Vulcans had a season-high 19 hits in the game and scored in double figures for the fourth time this year.

UH Hilo will turn right around and take on Fort Lewis (Colo.) at 5:30 pm MT (2:30 Hawaii).

The Vulcans improved to 7-3 on the season with the victory and to 2-1 in the tournament. Western New Mexico is now 1-7 this season and 1-3 in Utah.

Kiarra Lincoln, moving over to shortstop in place of Kawano, drilled a grand slam home run in the fourth inning and back-up catcher Lauren Flores had a pair of hits. Brinell Kaleikini, UH Hilo's starting catcher, played right field today and launched a solo shot in the second inning to get the Vulcans on the board. It was Kaleikini's third home run of the season.

Eight different players had hits for UH Hilo, including three each by Bailey Gaspar, Maria Steadmon, Kaleikini, and Thomas, and two each by Markie Okamoto and Flores.
Isabelle Mejia worked in and out of trouble enough in the pitcher's circle to get the win, her first as a Vulcan (1-1). She pitched the first five innings, scattering seven hits and allowing three runs. Leah Gonzales entered in the sixth inning and did not allow a run.

The Mustangs scored in the first inning on a pair of hits but Kaleikini tied the game with her homer in the top of the second. UHH scored their largest batch of runs in the fourth when Lincoln's grand slam followed base hits by Thomas and Flores, plus a walk to Darian Obara.

WNMU cut the margin to two runs after a two-run single by Mariangela Garcia in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-3. But Gaspar answered that rally with a solo shot to lead off the top of the sixth (6-3), her fourth homer of the season. After another Kaleikini hit and a Mustang error, Okamoto (making just her third start of the year), rapped a two-run single to give UH Hilo an 8-3 lead. Obara and Lincoln added an RBI each and by the time the inning was over (five runs, six hits), the Vulcans were comfortably ahead, 10-3.

Or so it seemed. After a two-out error kept the bottom  of the sixth alive, the Mustangs' Aryana Gutierrez laced a three-run double to make it 10-6. Nonetheless, Thomas singled home two more runs in the seventh to give the Vulcans a 12-6 lead, and Gonzales shut down the Mustangs in the seventh.

Complete statistics will be available later today.