Martinez powers Hawaii past LBSU in Big West tourney opener

Izabella Martinez went 3-for-4 with a double and a homer and drove in four runs as No. 5-seed Hawaii outlasted No. 4-seed Long Beach State, 10-8, in the first game of the Big West Softball Championship tournament today at Cal State Fullerton.

Hawaii (32-18 overall) scored four in the fourth inning after which UH led, 7-4. Martinez doubled to left center, plating Chloe Borges and Cierra Yamamoto. Carys Murakami then singled up the middle to score two more runs.

Borges, Martinez and Murakami all hit run-scoring singles in the fifth to give the Wahine their largest lead, 10-4.

LBSU’s (27-21) Priscilla Iniguez hit a two-run homer in the fifth to close the gap to 10-6. Carly Robbins did the same in the sixth to make it 10-8.

Earlier, Martinez hit a solo homer in the third after Borges started the Wahine scoring with a two-run blast to give UH a short-lived 3-1 lead. The Beach struck back with three in their half to retake the lead, 4-3.

LBSU had opened the scoring in the first when Jacquelyn Bickar led off with a triple and scored on Robbins’ single.

Macy Brandl’s 1-2-3 seventh inning capped 4 2/3 innings in relief of Addison Kostrencich for UH.

Hawaii plays top-seeded and host Cal State Fullerton on Thursday.

Long Beach State was slated to meet the loser of today’s second game, matching UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego.