HONOLULU – Despite the distractions, Senior Weekend ended up a smashing success.

The University of Hawai’i softball team swept Saturday’s twin bill against UC San Diego (15-29, 13-14 Big West), bouncing back after a frustrating, clunky 4-1 loss on Friday night to close out the regular season with 7-4 and 4-3 victories over the Tritons. The games marked the final home contests in the careers of five UH seniors and longtime head coach Bob Coolen, causing for an emotional few days all around.

Right-handed pitcher Addison Kostrencich earned the victory in the first game for the Rainbow Wahine, going 7.0 innings and allowing four runs on eight hits, walking only one batter as the redshirt senior picked up her 13th win of the season.

“After last night, I said that was my last loss of the season,” Kostrencich smiled when asked about the sweep. “We knew all the emotion would be here today and that we have the talent to take over [UC San Diego]. We just came out strong, we knew we could hit, and we trusted that.”

Fellow seniors Izabella Martinez and Liliana Thomas also had standout days for Hawai’i (31-18, 17-10 Big West), combining for five RBI and a trio of hits over the course of the two victories. Martinez drove three runs in during the first game, helping to provide some much-needed breathing room for the Rainbow Wahine, while Thomas helped power a UH comeback in the second game with two different run-scoring hits.

Sophomore Macy Brandl earned the win in the circle in the encore game, going all 7.0 innings while giving up three runs on four hits and a walk. The right-hander was a bit shaky early but locked in late as she retired 12 of the final 13 Triton batters to secure the victory to close the regular season.

After a chaotic experience on Friday while trying to celebrate “Bob Coolen Night” with special guests and events taking away from his and the team’s focus, Saturday presented similar challenges. With emotions running high and a gameday routine that was far different from any other during the season, the head coach of 34 years and his team answered the bell.

“I appreciated [the celebration] but I just was not prepared, and I don’t think my team was prepared for the whole thing [on Friday],” Coolen said of the weekend. “Kudos to them for [still winning] today because you should see the locker room, it’s amazing what they did to the locker room.”

Turning in a 0-for-4 performance in Friday’s loss, sophomore 1B Jamie McGaughey flipped the script in two outings on Saturday as she went 4-for-5 with a pair of walks and drilled the go-ahead solo homer in the bottom of the fifth inning in the second game that ultimately proved to be the difference.

“Addi came out and pitched well, Macy had a challenge. I had to really get on her when she was looking doubtful on the mound because we weren’t making the plays [defensively] for her,” Coolen said in review on the doubleheader sweep. “[Macy] bore down, and we picked it up and came back again from a 3-1 deficit, which was great. It was good to see Jamie finally hit the ball; she’s been struggling all weekend trying to figure it out.”

GAME ONE: HAWAI’I 7, UC SAN DIEGO 4

The Tritons struck first in the opener of the twin bill with an Alexis Jimenez solo home run off Kostrencich in the top of the second inning, but the Rainbow Wahine responded in the bottom half of the frame with a run of their own when reigning Big West Field Player of the Week Ellyanna Cinzori smacked an RBI single up the middle.

UC San Diego re-took the lead in the fourth inning with a Lily Hermosillo RBI double, but Hawai’i punched back with a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for good.

The top of the seventh brought a couple of heart-pounding moments early as Kostrencich walked the leadoff batter and gave up a two-run home run immediately after, but the redshirt senior settled back in to induce three groundouts to end the Tritons’ rally try and secure the No. 5 seed in next week’s Big West Softball Championship tournament.

Hawai’i totaled 10 hits and did not commit a single error in the opening game, clicking in for another comeback victory in a season filled with dramatic rallies.

GAME TWO: HAWAI’I 4, UC SAN DIEGO 3.

Hawai’i wasted little time getting on the board to begin the second game, scoring in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out RBI single from Liliana Thomas. UC San Diego punched back with a three-run top of the third, tagging UH starter Macy Brandl with a pair of loud two-out hits after a pair of hit batters increased the traffic on the bases.

The Rainbow Wahine quickly answered in the bottom of the third, picking up their starting pitcher as four of the first five batters reached base and tying the game up 3-3 with another RBI single from Thomas and an RBI fielders’ choice from Cinzori.

After the rough third frame, Brandl diced up the Tritons’ lineup as she allowed only one more baserunner for the rest of the game. Hawai’i broke the scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, seeing Jamie McGaughey crush a no-doubt solo shot over the left field fence to give the Rainbow Wahine a 4-3 lead.

With the lead and a settled pitcher, Hawai’i locked down the second victory of the day for the 16th comeback win of the year. Best of all, Coolen got to keep with his plans for the day.

“I didn’t want to bring in another pitcher,” the veteran coach said of sticking with Brandl through the early rough spot. “I wanted it to be Addi’s day, and I wanted it to be Macy’s day, [as we’re] going into the tournament.”

SENIOR NIGHT + BOB COOLEN CELEBRATION

Following the Saturday sweep, the team, fans and families recognized the five seniors who are completing their time with the Rainbow Wahine program. Izabella Martinez, Addison Kostrencich, Alyssa Nakagawa, Liliana Thomas and Chloe Borges each were recognized for their various college careers with Hawai’i, all eliciting separate emotions but one common feeling: gratitude.

It was the second straight day of celebrating at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, coming after “Bob Coolen Night” took some time to honor the 36-year career of the coach with Hawai’i. Friday entailed surprises with various alumni coming back to show their appreciation for Coolen before his family (wife, kids, grandson Colt, etc.) threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

While the commotion was well-deserved and fun, it also threw off the regular routine for UH and set up for an awkward opening game of the series and ultimately a loss by the Rainbow Wahine. After Friday’s contest, Coolen was presented with a variety of gifts that included a stay at an OUTRIGGER resort and a commemorative bat while former Hawai’i state senate member Brian Taniguchi and acting UH athletics director Lois Manin each said some words to honor the longtime skipper.

Taniguchi and Coolen’s efforts combined to help get funding for major upgrades to Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, starting in 1998 and totally changing the venue by 2022, helping modernize the facilities for a program that has made many magical runs under Coolen’s watchful eye.

Those upgrades will help the program long after Coolen’s retirement, though replacing one of the less than 25 college coaches ever with more than 1,200 career wins will come with challenges too. As he steps down from his post, Coolen’s resume can go up against nearly any in collegiate coaching history regardless of division.

Saturday was more for the seniors, but each of them also admitted to having an extra pinch of motivation to send “Coach Bob” into his next evolution as a winner at home. With the hoopla of Friday out of the way, a familiar distraction of Senior Day seemed like nothing.

“We knew we were better [than last night] and we knew that we really wanted to win today,” senior Addison Kostrencich said after the games. “It’s a great way to close out [Coach Coolen’s] career, our careers. This field is really special, and I think we all knew that.”

The right-handed hurler’s battery mate agreed with Kostrencich’s assessment.

“I think we just knew that this was going to be it for us here [in Hawai’i], so I think we just played with so much more love and so much more compassion today than I’ve ever seen,” senior catcher Izabella Martinez said, nearly overwhelmed with emotion. “I’m so grateful that this isn’t where it ends … I’m so happy that I get to play next week with my best friends again. I’m so excited that I get to go on another plane ride with my best friends and … keep playing the sport that I love so much and that my teammates love so much.”

Hawai’i will take on No. 4-seeded Long Beach State on Wednesday, May 7 in the inaugural Big West Softball Championship tournament at Anderson Family Field in Fullerton, Calif., looking to survive the double-elimination tournament and punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. The winner will advance to face top-seeded Cal State Fullerton while the loser plays in an elimination game against the loser between No. 6-seeded UC San Diego and No. 3-seeded UC Santa Barbara.