Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 KANEOHE, HI- The Chaminade softball team was swept in a key PacWest Conference doubleheader as the Silverswords lost a Game 1 heartbreaker, unable to hold on to a seventh inning lead as they fell, 6-5. CUH also lost in Game 2, 8-1. It was the first time the Swords were swept in a conference doubleheader since March 16 against Grand Canyon.
The Silverswords dropped to 25-19 and 17-11 in conference play while the Sea Warriors improved to 30-17 and 19-11. The losses proved costly as it vaulted HPU into fifth place in the conference, dropping Chaminade into sixth. It also damaged the Swords' chances for a possible regional ranking and a berth into the NCAA West Regional.
In Game 1, the Swords spotted the Sea Warriors a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
Chaminade responded in the top of the second by exploding for five runs.
Elia Lizarraga (Torrance, CA/Narbonne) led off the inning by getting on board by an error.
Letisha Vaba (Stockton, CA) followed with a single.
Samantha Ford (Honolulu, HI/Word of Life) got CUH on the board with a single, bringing Lizarraga home. Another error by HPU brought Vaba home, tying the game at 2.
The Silverswords took the lead on Shannon Hokama's (Torrance, CA/South) single to left, scoring Ford, while an error on the play moved Hokama to second and
Ashley Phelps (Torrance, CA/South) to third. Kori Bernobis (Kaneohe, HI/Castle) then tacked on an RBI sacrifice fly to score Phelps. The Swords rounded out the scoring when
Rayna Strom-Okimoto (Aiea, HI/Aiea) laced a double to right center, bringing home Hokama as CUH led, 5-2, at the end of the inning.
Chaminade starter
Kaitlyn Watanabe (Kula, HI/Baldwin) would pitch effectively, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. Keila Elderts led off with a triple to the right field corner and came home on a throwing error. A double on the next at-bat would bring
Brett Aspel (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union) into the game. Aspel worked out of the jam by retiring three of the four batters she faced in the inning to retire the side.
HPU would threaten in the bottom of the sixth with two walks and a bunt single, loading the bases with no outs. But the Swords would dig deep, as Strom-Okimoto retired the runner coming home for the first out. Aspel then struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning, preserving the 5-3 lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Sea Warriors, who had shown a penchant for late inning comebacks in the recent games, tied it at 5 on Sharae Esprecion's two-run single. Keila Elderts completed the comeback with a walk-off single to left, giving the Sea Warriors the 6-5 win.
Strom-Okimoto was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Hokama, Berinobis and Ford each logged a hit and an RBI. Aspel was charged with the loss, falling to 14-11. Alysia Maddison earned the win to improve to 7-3.
In Game 2, the Sea Warriors continued to ride the momentum of their first game win, bringing 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first as five hits combined with two walks and a pair of CUH errors would give HPU a 6-0 lead.
Chaminade got on the board in the top of the third when Vaba led off with a single. Two batters later, Phelps singled, moving Vaba to third. Hokama got the Swords on the board with her RBI base hit to left. Berinobis got on by fielder's choice, but Phelps was thrown out at home, trying score from second to end the inning, as CUH trailed, 6-1.
The Swords were held to only four hits with Hokama, Phelps, Vaba and
Brianne Hornos (Lihue, HI/Kaua'i) each recording one hit each. Watanabe was charged with the loss, dropping her to 11-7. Melissa Kirby got the win, improving to 11-9.
The Silverswords wrap up the season tomorrow in a PacWest doubleheader against Hawai'i-Hilo at Corp Field. First pitch of Game 1 is set for 1 p.m. and can be heard on goswords.com. Game 2 will also be broadcast live across the state on NBC Sports Radio on AM 1500.
It will be the final game for five Sword seniors: Berinobis,
Dominique Bocanegra (Brisbane, CA/Terra Nova),
Tumamaopavaiai Enos (Pahoa, HI/Pahoa), Strom-Okimoto and Vaba.
