ST. GEORGE, Utah--Senior pitcher Isabelle Mejia gave new meaning today to the old phrase about 'pitchers helping themselves'.

Mejia pitched a complete game and doubled home the tying run in extra innings to help Hawai`i Hilo defeat previously undefeated and No. 21 nationally ranked Colorado Mesa on Saturday at the Canyons Softball Complex, 4-3 in eight innings. The Mavericks, winners of three of the last four Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference titles, are now 4-1. The Vulcans are 5-3 overall and went 4-1 in the Dixie State Courtyard Classic. 

UH Hilo is one of a handful of teams with just one loss in the tournament, with a few games yet to be played.

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth with the international tiebreaker in effect, the Vulcans wasted no time, winning the game on two swings of the bat.

Rayla Jacobs-Kea was placed on second base to start the inning, and Mejia took one strike and then laced a double to left field to bring home Jacobs-Kea. Brinell Kaleikini then stepped into the box, and on a 1-1 count singled down the left field line to bring home Mejia before the Mavericks could get an out.

That capped a 3-for-4 day for the junior second baseman Kaleikini, and Mejia had two hits to bolster her pitching performance. In the pitcher's circle, she went eight innings, scattered eight hits, gave up just two earned runs, allowed two walks and struck out three. 

Kiarra Lincoln had two hits for the Vulcans, and Markie Okamoto drove in a pair of runs with a base hit and a sacrifice fly. UH Hilo had 10 hits in the game against the Mavericks, who went 48-5 last season.

The Vulcans will now return home and prep for their games, the 2019 Pacific West Conference openers on Feb. 24 against Chaminade.