HONOLULU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Hilo Softball returned to the islands and hopped over to O'ahu to come away with two victories, a 6-2 win over Hillsdale (Michigan) and a 7-5 win against No. 22 Lewis (Illinois), on its first day of action of the Ulili Softball Invitational at the Mauli Ola Sports Complex at Sand Island Park.

Jayda Favela, Victoria Macias and Miquela Leopoldo each combined for four hits through the two games Thursday afternoon.

Pitchers Tehani Seto and Megan Yorba were credited with the victories in the pitching circle, both allowing just two earned runs each.

UP NEXT: Ulili Softball Invitational (Honolulu, Hawai'i (O'ahu) / Mauli Ola Sports Complex at Sand Island Park) – Friday, Feb. 7 vs Ferris State (11 AM) and Nebraska-Kearney (1 PM)

HILLSDALE 2, HAWAI'I HILO 6

• Hillsdale plated a run in the opening frame, but the Vulcans responded in the bottom half of the inning and took advantage of back-to-back-to-back walks to score four runs highlighted by a two-RBI double by Macias.
• The Chargers got another run back in the top of the second, but that would be all as Seto went the distance for her first complete-game victory of the season (2-0). Hillsdale managed to load the bases in the top of the fourth, but Seto induced ground balls to short and to second to get out of the jam.
• The Vulcans rallied on two outs in the bottom of the fifth with base hits by Lexie Tilton and Macias before Leopoldo took a first-pitch offering to left field for two RBI.

NO. 22 LEWIS 5, HAWAI'I HILO 7

Middle infielders Favela (shortstop) and Kiani Nakamura (second) had another busy outing with four putouts and four assists, and six putouts and five assists, respectively, with zero errors.

Favela also had herself a day on the other side of the plate, hitting 3 for 4 with two stolen bases and three runs scored. The senior raced home on an infield ground out and beat the throw for the Vulcans first run in the opening inning. She later scored the go-ahead run on a two-RBI triple by Rayna White in the fourth.

White batted 2 for 3 and totaled three RBI with the aforementioned triple to follow an inside-the-park home run to the left-field corner pocket in the bottom of the third. Following her triple, White scored on a sacrifice fly by Tilton to plate the game-winning run. The right fielder also prevented potential further damage in the top of the fifth to gun out a Flyers runner at second base for the fielder's choice putout on what should have been the third base hit in the inning.

Yorba entered the pitching circle in the top of the third in relief of starter Chloe Sales and went the final 4.1 innings with just two runs allowed for the win (1-1).

The Flyers are the third team Hawai'i Hilo has played who was ranked in the NFCA/GoRout Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll and first victory against a ranked team since defeating No. 13 Sonoma State in April 2023 (fueled by Dutch Bros. Coffee).