HILO, Hawai`i—Two local products that are used to dancing around rain drops helped lead Hawai`i Hilo to a pair of Pacific West Conference-opening victories over Notre Dame de Namur on Tuesday afternoon at the UH Hilo Softball Field, 5-2 and 1-0.

Kiarra Lincoln (Kamehameha School) had four hits on the day and Waiakea High School alum Skyler Thomas hit a home run in the first game as the Vulcans survived the rain and the Argonauts to improve to 7-3 on the season and to 2-0 in the PacWest. The Argonauts are now 0-17 overall and 0-14 in conference play.

The first game was delayed 30 minutes because of wet field conditions, and everyone endured a one hour and thirty minute rain delay in the second game, with no outs in the bottom of the first. The second game was called because of darkness going into the bottom of the sixth.

Lincoln, a sophomore shortstop, sparkled on the day with four hits in six at-bats, including two doubles and two RBI. She also scored two runs.

It was the first action for the Vulcans since February 9.

In the opener, UH Hilo survived a bases loaded jam in the first inning when starter Valerie Alvarado struggled out of the gate. Her first nine pitches were balls (two walks) and Aurora Adams singled to load the bases. But Alvarado was able to induce a lineout and a pop out to get out of the inning scot free.

NDNU did the same in the bottom half when Lincoln led off the inning with a one-hop double off the left field fence. Danielle Antolin was hit in the noggin by a pitch, the Vulcans got runners to second and third before NDNU's Katie Bettis was able to work out of trouble.

UH Hilo got on the board in the second when Lincoln again doubled to bring home Chloe Domingo, who had walked. But the Argonauts answered with a run in the top of the third when four walks chased home a runner to tie the contest, which led to Leah Gonzales entering the game to replace Alvardo.

Gonzales fanned the next batter to end the inning, and put the Argos down in order in the fourth. In the bottom half of the inning, the Vulcans used three NDNU errors and a RBI-single from Lincoln to bring home three runs to take a 4-1 lead. UHH added another run in the fifth on Thomas' shot over the left field fence, her second home run of the year, to make the board read 5-1.

An error and a RBI-single by NDNU's Lauryn Zabat put another run up for the visitors in the top of the sixth, and Gonzales survived a double in the seventh from Adams to close out the game for her second win of the season (2-1).

Gonzales pitched 4.1 innings, didn't allow a earned run, gave up two hits, walked two and fanned four. Lincoln was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.

The second game was much different, beginning with the 1.5 hour rain stoppage. When play resumed NDNU's Sofia Garcia and UHH's Isabelle Mejia hooked up in a nifty pitching duel.

The Vulcans broke through for the only run in the game in the bottom of the third. Lincoln led off the inning with a single and followed with a stolen base. Antolin walked, and Brinell Kaleikini moved them up a base with a sacrifice bunt. Mejia then helped herself with a deep ground ball to second base that easily scored Lincoln.

That would be all the runs that the senior right-hander would need. She retired the next eight batters in a row, only giving up a walk in the sixth inning—which would be the final stanza as darkness brought a halt to the contest.

Maria Steadmon was 2-for-2 in the second game for the Vulcans. Mejia improved to 3-0 in the pitching circle, allowing just two hits, three walks and she had six K's. Garcia was the hard-luck loser, allowing just the one earned run on four hits. She walked three and struck out one.

The two teams are scheduled to play another twinbill on Wednesday at noon. Check the Vulcan website at hiloathletics.com for updates.