HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team concluded the exhibition portion of their non-championship season with a split doubleheader against Fullerton College and the University of Hawai'i-Manoa Saturday at the Kama'aina Tournament.
The Silverswords dropped both contests, 8-6, to Fullerton and 15-1 to Hawai'i. The tournament, which has traditionally been held at the UH campus, was moved to McKinley High School Field this year as Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium is undergoing renovations.
Game 1 vs. Fullerton College
The Silverswords, who started five freshmen, found themselves down quickly to the Hornets, allowing six runs in the top of the second inning.
But Chaminade slowly chipped away as
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) homered to left field to lead off the bottom of the second.
Fullerton plated single runs in the third and fourth before the 'Swords finally generated some offense in the bottom of the fourth by demonstrating plate patience.
Kayla Russell (Honolulu/Kaiser) worked a nine-pitch at-bat to draw a bases-loaded walk while
Alisen Endsley (Orange, Calif./Orange Lutheran) had a seven-pitch plate appearance to induce another.
Jackie Najera (Santa Ana, Calif./Segerstrom) was plunked with the bases juiced to bring home another run with
Maureen Hutchinson (Curtisville, Pa./Deer Lake) and
Makena Kealoha (Corona, Calif./Norco) adding RBI groundouts. The 'Swords scored five runs in the fourth with the benefit of just two hits.
Chaminade managed to get the tying runs on board in the sixth but were unable to bring the runners home.
Ulufale and
Deven Dickson (Avondale, Calif./Westlake) each had two of the team's seven hits.
Fullerton's Natasha Trujillo got the win while
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) took the loss although she managed to strike out four in her three innings of work.
Game 2 vs. Hawai'i
Faced against their Division I neighbors whose campus is less than a mile from their own, the 'Swords were unable to keep up with the Rainbow Wahine in the early innings. UH scored in each of the first four frames to help build a 10-0 lead.
The 'Swords, held to one hit at that point, led off the fifth with an infield single from
Salena Honokaupu (Kula, Hawai'i/Maui) and a double to deep right by Dickson, putting runners at second and third with no out. Najera then singled home a run to put Chaminade on the board. The 'Swords nearly got another but UH third baseman Mama Rivera robbed Ulufale of an RBI with a diving stop to end the inning.
Hawai'i tacked on five more runs to complete the scoring.
Dickson was the only Chaminade batter with multiple hits. The freshmen ended the day 4-for-6 at the plate in both games. She also started in the circle against the Rainbow Wahine but lasted just 3 1/3 innings. Stockslager worked the final 3 2/3 in relief and struck out four.
Hawai'i had 14 hits in the contest with Emily Klee earning the win for UH in their pitching-by-committee strategy. Callee Heen went 3-for-3 and drove in two for the host team.
