HONOLULU — Sophomore communication major Brooke Yanez tied a school Division I single-game record with 18 strikeouts in the opener, while the offense unleashed a barrage in game two, slugging three home runs as part of an 12-hit attack, enough to gain UC Davis a split of its Big West Conference doubleheader on Thursday night, falling in the opener, 2-1, in 12 innings before posting a 7-3 win in the nightcap at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

The Aggies moved to 38-14 overall and 12-8 in league play with the split, while the Rainbow Wahine moved to 33-15 and 14-6 in the Big West. UC Davis' 12 conference victories are the most since the 2012 squad finished 14-7 en route to a third-place finish in the league standings.

The two teams meet on Friday night (May 10) at 10 p.m. PT in the regular season finale for both squads.

Yanez's 18 strikeouts not only established a new career high for the Ventura, Calif., native, but matched Jessica Hancock's record of 18 punch-outs — also against Hawai'i — back on Feb. 15, 2009. The total fell just one shy of the all-time single-game record of 19 set by Lindsay Tognetti at Nevada on April 18, 2007.

In addition, according to totals entering Thursday night's games, Yanez's 18 strikeouts are tied for the nation's third-highest single-game total this season, matching Drake's Nicole Newman (vs. Evansville) & trailing only Holy Cross' Kelly Nelson (27 vs. Jacksonville & 19 vs. Maine). Newman entered the night leading the nation with 362 strikeouts overall on the yaer.

Playing in their longest game since a 2-1 victory over Long Beach State in 12 innings last season, the Aggies went to extra innings for the fifth time this season in the opener, riding the left arm of starter Brooke Yanez (24-7), who allowed only one hit in the first seven innings while mowing down the Hawai'i lineup.

Unfortunately, that one hit cleared the wall in right centerfield as Callee Heen slugged her 15th home run of the season, staking the Rainbow Wahine to the early lead in the fourth.

UC Davis put runners into scoring position in both the fourth and fifth innings, but could not break through against Hawai'i starter Brittany Hitchcock (20-7) until the seventh when they needed it most. With one out, Isabella Leon stepped to the plate and wasted little time, slugging her third home run of the season to left field, tying the game at one apiece.

The home run was the 30th of the season for the Aggies' lineup, extending the program's Division I record and ranking as the fourth highest total in the team's history dating back to 1982.

Meanwhile, the Rainbow Wahine were struggling to figure out Yanez, who struck out two batters in an inning six times on the night and had at least one strikeout in every inning but the sixth en route to her career-high total leading up to the decisive frame. She finished the night allowing just seven hits over 11.1 innings.

It marked the 10th double-digit strikeout game of the season for Yanez, who allowed six baserunners — only one of those via a walk — through the first 11 innings, and moved to within four of Cal Poly's Sierra Hyland for 10th on the Big West single-season chart.

Meanwhile, the sophomore also pulled to within 13 of Justine Vela's 272 strikeouts in 2012 for third on the school's all-time list and the program's Division I single-season record.

After spotting the Rainbow Wahine three runs in the first in the nightcap, the offense took center stage for the Aggies, who slugged three home runs in the third inning to take a 4-3 advantage.

Junior international relations major Marissa Jauregui got the scoring started with her first of the year — and her first since April 29 of last season — clearing the wall in left to put UC Davis on the scoreboard. Two batters later, it was senior Meghan Bradbury's turn to leave the yard, crushing her ninth of the season to centerfield to make it 3-2 and knock starter Izzy Dino from the game.

After a single by Marisa Given, Yanez then put the bat on the ball and crushed her fifth home run of the year to centerfield, giving the Aggies the one-run advantage. It marked the third time this season that UC Davis has slugged three home runs in a game — the other two coming against Santa Clara on Feb. 8 and March 15.

For Bradbury, it was her ninth home run of the season, extending her own program Division I single-season record, and the 14th of her career, tying her with Amy Nunez (2011-15) for the most in the program's Division I history and 10th place on the all-time list.

A Maddie Rojas two-out double set the stage for another score in the fifth as Yanez followed by cranking an RBI single to left, making it a two-run game, while Alyse Rojas singled to lead off the sixth and later scored on a Leon double for a 6-3 advantage.

After a rough start, Katie Kibby (12-7) settled down to earn the win, scattering seven hits and striking out five in the complete game effort, while Yanez and Maddie Rojas each finished with three hits on the night.

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.