The Hawaii softball team could not overcome reigning Big West Pitcher of the Year Jada Cecil in its opener of a three-game series against UC San Diego on Friday night.

Cecil, a sophomore right-hander, tossed a two-hitter in UCSD’s 4-1 win at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, outdueling UH ace Brianna Lopez.

Alexa DeMarse broke a 1-1 tie with a three-run home run off Lopez (10-6) in the top of the sixth. It was the first homer of the sophomore’s career.

UH (20-13, 3-4 Big West) took its third straight loss after a 3-1 start to conference play.

It was the second time in two Big West home series that UH dropped the opener. Two weeks ago, against UC Santa Barbara, the Wahine recovered to sweep both games on Saturday.

Cecil (6-5) struck out eight and walked just one.

“Our players have to get better at understanding when she throws a ball on her first pitch, the pitching coach is calling something low and we’ve got to go after that pitch,” UH coach Bob Coolen told the Spectrum Sports broadcast.

Haley Johnson knocked in UH’s only run of the game with a single to center in the bottom of the fourth, scoring Ka‘ena Keliinoi, who had UH's only other hit of the game in that inning.

UCSD (14-17, 4-3) got the run back in the top of the fifth when Hailey Mulligan, who reached on a swinging strike on a wild pitch, came around from first on Lopez’s throwing error to first base for the next batter Morgan Eng; Mya’Liah Bethea had vacated the base to field Eng’s bunt and the ball sailed into foul territory. Eng, however, was thrown out on a relay from Annamaria Nuno to catcher Izzy Martinez and the game remained tied at 1.

“Once you make a make a mistake (as a fielder), the pitcher gets a lot uptight. Bri started thinking she had to be the only person out there, and that doesn’t help,” Coolen said. “Then the adrenaline flows the wrong way.”

Lopez pitched 5 1/3 innings with three of the four runs charged to her earned. She gave up seven hits and one walk, striking out six, but also had two wild pitches.

Chloe Borges worked the final five outs with two hits and a wild pitch but held off the Tritons.

As freshmen, Cecil and Lopez were two of the three Big West first-team pitchers in 2022. In the teams’ series opener last year, Cecil also outdueled Lopez. However, Lopez got her back in the swing game of the series the next day as UH took two of three.

UH and UCSD begin Saturday’s doubleheader at noon at RWSS. Freshman Key-annah Campbell-Pua is scheduled to pitch for UH in the first game.

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