Long Beach State comes back to take series from Hawaii softball team

Long Beach State had the last word on Hawaii in the first Big West series of 2025.

The Beach swept a Saturday doubleheader from the Rainbow Wahine, 8-3 and 9-1, to take the three-game series 2-1 after UH surprised the preseason Big West favorites at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on Friday night.

UH (15-10, 1-2 BWC) next takes on Cal State Northridge in Northridge, Calif., Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. Hawaii time both days. The Matadors (10-12, 3-0) swept Cal Poly over the weekend.

Bob Coolen’s No. 2 starter Macy Brandl (6-4) lasted six innings in the first game Saturday but yielded seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in the process.

Wahine ace Addison Kostrencich (8-5), who was victorious against her former program on Friday, was unable to replicate it and exited after just 1 2/3 innings thrown in the final game of the series.

Millie Fidge made two relief appearances on the day.

First baseman Jamie McGaughey went 3-for-3 in Saturday’s first game, including her team-best sixth home run of the season in the first inning to tie the game at 2-2. Kiyara-Leigh Tuiloma added an RBI single in the second and UH claimed a temporary 3-2 lead.

Makayla Medellin got to Brandl with a two-run shot in the fifth and the Beach poured it on with four runs in the top of the seventh.

LBSU (11-9, 2-1) four-hit the Wahine behind a complete game from Kate Barnett in the series finale. Selena Perez hit home runs in the second and fourth innings and Medellin’s bases-clearing double in the sixth pushed the game to mercy rule territory.

UH’s only score was on Milan Ah Yat’s bases-loaded walk in the fifth.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.