Softball Drops Another Close One to UH

Box score

HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team ended their fall exhibition season by falling to host University of Hawai'i-Manoa, 2-1, in the second day of the Kama'aina Tournament.
 
For the second straight day, the Division I Rainbow Wahine escaped with a win, this time getting a two-out walk-off solo homer from Heather Cameron.
 
UH plated the first run of the game in the first inning but Silverswords starter Kayla Higuchi managed to keep the 'Bows off-balance. The sophomore from Aiea allowed only three hits to the powerful Rainbow Wahine bats from the second inning until Cameron's blast in the seventh.
 
Higuchi followed up Luana Moreno's excellent pitching performance on Friday, scattering six hits while walking only one. She also induced 11 ground-ball outs.
 
The 'Swords finally came up with a clutch hit in the top of the sixth. After Jenn Betian was plunked for the second time in the game and Rainelle Matsuoka moved her to second on a ground-out, Nicole Erichsen dropped a two-out single inside the left field line to plate Betian to tie the game at 1.
 
Higuchi sat down the side in order in the bottom of the sixth while UH starter Kanani Aina Cabrale did the same in the top of the seventh.
 
Although the 'Swords came away empty in the win column against their D-I neighbor, the aggregate 4-1 score over the 14 innings of tournament play was the closest margin against UH in the history of the tournament.
 
CUH got three hits off Aina Cabrales including two in the first inning – a one-out single by Coco Stewart then a Matsuoka double that ran to the right-center wall.
 
The Silverswords are scheduled to open the spring season on Feb. 4 against Benedictine University of Mesa at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.