IRVINE, California – Hawai'i Hilo Softball dropped the opener to No. 22 Concordia, 4-3, before rallying for a 6-5 victory in the nightcap to split Tuesday's doubleheader in Pacific West Conference play at Golden Eagles Stadium.

In the Game 2 victory, Mia Joaquin capped a five-run fifth-inning rally with a three-run homer (first of the season) to put the Vulcans ahead for good.

Janessa Santos went the distance once again in the pitching circle to improve to a 7-0 record, setting a career high with 11 strikeouts — the most in a single game by any pitcher in the PacWest Conference this season. Santos worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh by closing with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.

The win marked Hawai'i Hilo head coach Aisha Sueda's 100th career victory. The former Vulcan (2009-2012) now holds a record of 100-95 (.512) and is in her fifth season as head coach.

NOTES

• Game 1: Hawai'i Hilo 3 - No. 22 Concordia 4
  • Hawai'i Hilo took an early 3-0 lead with RBI hits by Ava Monturio, Lexie Tilton and Mariah Antoque.
  • After stranding five total runners in the first two innings, the Vulcans put just two more runners on base — both via walks — through the final five innings.
  • CUI managed to utilize the long ball with two home runs by Veronica Moore (three RBI) and one by Audrey Robles, jumping ahead in the bottom of the sixth.
• Game 2: Hawai'i Hilo 6 - No. 22 Concordia 5
  • CUI's Moore continued to produce runs with a two-RBI double in the third inning for a 2-0 lead.
  • Vulcans rallied for five runs in the top of the fifth. Tilton tied the game with an RBI single (finished 3 for 4 at the plate) before Joaquin — who had entered the game the previous inning to pinch hit — lofted a three-run shot over the wall for her second career home run. 
  • Ke'alohi Markham went 3 for 3 and scored the game-tying run on Tilton's RBI hit before adding an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth.
  • Santos increased her PacWest lead to 57 strikeouts (conference-only contests) with CUI's Kacie Gossett the next leading pitcher with 40 — Gossett totaled six strikeouts in Game 1.
• Hawai'i Hilo: 14-11 Overall (11-7 PacWest)
  • Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 6
  • Current Conference Standing: No. 3
• No. 22 Concordia: 27-11 Overall (17-5 PacWest)
  • Irvine, California
  • Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 1
  • Current Conference Standing: No. 1

UP NEXT

• Wednesday, March 18 (NOON + 2:30 PM) at Concordia (Irvine, California)
• Friday, March 20 (11 AM + 1 PM) at Vanguard (Costa Mesa, California)
• Saturday, March 21 (9 AM + 11 AM) at Vanguard (Costa Mesa, California)
• Sunday, April 5 at Josai University (Saitama, Japan)
• Sunday, April 5 at Nippon Sport Science University (Tokyo, Japan)
• Thursday, April 16 (NOON + 2:30 PM) vs Menlo (Vulcan Softball Field)
• Friday, April 17 (NOON + 2:30 PM) vs Menlo (Vulcan Softball Field)

PACWEST PRESEASON POLL

Hawai'i Hilo was voted No. 6 in the Pacific West Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Vulcans finished the 2025 regular season at No. 6 in the conference standings. The four-team 2026 PacWest Championships postseason tournament will be hosted by Biola on May 5-7 in La Mirada, California.

BUY LIVESTREAM PACKAGE

Video livestreaming will be available for all home events this season through the PacWest Network, powered by Hudl TV. More information is available at HiloAthletics.com/livestream. Single-game passes for softball are offered at $10, doubleheader day passes at $17.50 and a season-package (18 games) price of $135.