HONOLULU – The Utah Valley University softball team opened the Bank of Hawaii Invitational with a pair of setbacks on Friday as it fell to Portland State by a score of 6-5 and Hawaii 9-2 at the University of Hawaii's Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
 
Trailing Portland State 5-1 late in the opening game, UVU (4-8) managed to put up four clutch runs to tie the game at 5-all in the seventh. Taleigh Williams delivered the big hit for the Wolverines with a game-tying two-run home run in the top of the seventh, but it wasn't enough as PSU's Kortney Craker answered in the bottom of the frame with a walk-off solo home run to send the Vikings (1-10) to the 6-5 victory.
 
Down 5-1 with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth, Morgan Smith made it a 5-2 game with an RBI single up the middle. With UVU looking for more, PSU's Karyn Wright managed to get out of the jam by striking out Tiani Hensley to leave the bases loaded.
 
With the Wolverines still trailing by three runs entering the final inning, Brianna Gatlin and Brittney Vansway immediately got things going for the UVU offense with back-to-back doubles to make it a 5-3 ballgame. Following a popup, Williams then smacked out the game-tying home run to left to extend the game before Portland State's Craker ended it in the last of the seventh.
 
Kellee Ramsey was saddled with the loss to drop to 1-2 on the season after giving up just one run on two hits in 3.1 innings of relief. Meagan Hendrix (1-3) earned the win for the Vikings as she gave up just one hit and one earned run in three innings of work.
 
Williams led the Wolverines at the plate against PSU by going 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored while Smith and Vansway each went 1-for-3 with an RBI apiece.
 
In the nightcap against the host Rainbow Wahine (7-6), UH jumped out to an early 6-0 lead after scoring six runs on five hits in the opening inning. Tayana Mata delivered the big blow for the 'Bows in the frame with a three-run home run to left.
 
Utah Valley then got on the board in the third thanks to a one-out solo home run from Cera Stanley to make it a 6-1 game. Following a UH run in the last of the third, UVU made it a 7-2 contest in the fifth on an RBI groundout from Breezy Roth. Kristy Snyder and Stanley set the table prior to Roth's RBI in the inning with a pair of singles.
 
Kanani Aina Cabrales later extended Hawaii's lead to 9-2 in the sixth with a two-run home run but senior Dynasty Lauvai came on in relief for the first time in her career following the home run to stop the damage as she retired the first two batters she faced.
 
Stanley paced Utah Valley at the plate in the game by going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored, while Keiki Carlos and Heather Cameron respectively went 2-for-2 and 2-for-3 for the 'Bows.
 
The Bank of Hawaii Invite continues on Saturday when the Wolverines open the day against Portland State at 3 p.m. MT/noon HT. UVU will then once again face the host Rainbow Wahine in the nightcap on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MT/4:30 p.m. HT.