Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SAN RAFAEL, CA – The Chaminade softball team extended their win streak to seven games by completing a four-game series sweep of Dominican today, defeating the Penguins, 6-4 in 10 innings, and 5-2 in the night cap.
The Silverswords evened their overall record to 13-13 while also improving 9-7 in the Pac West, their best conference record this late in the season since 2010. Their current winning streak is the longest since 2006. The Penguins fell to 5-29 and 0-16.
In Game 1, the Silverswords got on the board when lead-off batter,
Shannan Hokama (Torrance, CA/South) tripled to right center to open the game.
Kori Berinobis (Kaneohe, HI/Castle) brought Hokama home on an RBI sacrifice fly to right.
Chaminade extended the lead in the fifth when Hokama smacked a 2-run, 2-out double into left center, scoring
Samantha Ford (Honolulu, HI/Word of Life) and
Ashley Phelps (Torrance, CA/South), giving CUH a 3-0 lead.
But Dominican made quick work of the lead in the bottom half of the frame, getting three consecutive singles off Swords starter
Brett Aspel (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union). Tori Johnson got the Penguins on the board with an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Back-to-back triples by Leslie Mesa and Kayleigh Klingberg tied the game at 3, chasing Aspel from the circle and replaced by
Kaitlyn Watanabe (Kula, HI/Baldwin). The sophomore got out of the jam by striking out Dominique Perry to end the inning.
The Swords had a golden opportunity in the top of the seventh, but could not push across the go-ahead run, despite having runners at second and third with no outs, helping to send the game into extra innings for the second straight day.
Ford started the ninth with a lead-off single. A Phelps sacrifice bunt and a Hokama infield ground out pushed Ford to third, then Berinobis hit a ball to right field, but was mishandled, allowing Ford to score, giving the Swords a 4-3 lead.
The Penguins battled back in the bottom of the ninth. Watanabe retired the first two batters, but encountered trouble, as Kayla Rodriguez singled, followed by a Johnson double, then a Mesa walk to load the bases. The next batter, Klingberg delivered a clutch infield single, scoring Rodriguez, tying the game at 4.
For the second consecutive day, the game went into the 10
th inning, putting the international tie-breaker in effect, with
Rayna Strom-Okimoto (Aiea, HI/Aiea) being placed at second base. Lead-off batter
Aja Keyes (Kaneohe, HI/Lutheran) got on board on a bunt, moving Strom-Okimoto to third.
Tumamaopavaiai Enos (Pahoa, HI/Pahoa) delivered the go-ahead RBI ground-out, plating Strom-Okimoto.
Elia Lizarraga (Torrance, CA/Narbonne) then hit an infield single, advancing Keyes to third. The next batter,
Letisha Vaba (Stockton, CA), brought home an insurance run with a single to left, scoring Keyes and giving CUH a 6-4 lead.
Chaminade's defense came through in the bottom of the 10
th, throwing out the runner at second base trying to advance to third. Then Watanabe got the Penguins to hit into a 5-6-3 double play to end the game.
Watanabe earned the win in relief, throwing 5.1 innings, allowing five hits while striking out a season-high five. Karly Harris took the loss, dropping her to 4-15. Hokama went 3-for-4 at the dish with two doubles and a triple, along with two RBI and a run, while Lizarraga also picked up three hits. Vaba and Ford both contributed with two hits each. The Penguins top of the order of Rodriguez, Johnson, Mesa and Klingberg was a combined 9-of-19 at the plate.
In Game 2, Chaminade spotted Dominican a 2-0 first inning lead on an error and sacrifice fly.
The Swords chipped away with a run in the second inning as Lizarraga got on board via an error, then advanced to third on a passed ball. Vaba drove her home on a sacrifice fly to left field.
In the CUH third, Berinobis and Strom-Okimoto led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After a double steal, Keyes, celebrating her 20
th birthday today, tied the game at 2 on a base hit to center, bringing Berinobis home. After pinch hitter
Noelani Maglinti (Kailua, HI/Kalaheo) walked and a strikeout, Vaba broke the tie with an RBI fielder's choice, giving the Swords a 3-2 lead.
In the fourth, Strom-Okimoto got another run for the Silverswords with an inside-the-park solo homer to right center, her second of the season. Chaminade added a final run in the sixth when Strom-Okimoto's double brought home Hokama, making it 5-2 Swords.
That was all Watanabe needed. The sophomore pitched a complete game, 4-hitter, walking two and striking out one, in earning her second win of the day and improving to 7-5 on the season. Strom-Okimoto went 3-for-4, including the inside-the-park home run, with two RBI and two runs scored. The Swords top of the order proved effective in the game, as Hokama, Berinobis and Strom-Okimoto went a combined 6-for-12 at the plate.
“Dominican is such a tough team,” Chaminade head coach Kent Yamaguchi said. “But our defense was strong, our pitching held up and Shannan had a big bat in the first game with a lead-off triple and two doubles. We executed the international tiebreaker with perfection for the second day in a row. Rayna had the highlight of Game 2 with the inside-the-park homer.”
The Swords put their win streak on the line as they face Holy Names in a Pac West doubleheader tomorrow, beginning at 12 p.m. PDT (9 a.m. HST).
