Box Score TURLOCK, CA – The Chaminade softball team concluded its final game of pool play today at the Tournament of Champions Presented by Mizuno with a 4-0 loss to UC San Diego.
The Silverswords fell to 22-15 on the season and finished 4-1 in pool play. The Tritons, who are receiving votes in the NCAA Division II Top 25 poll this week, improved to 23-16.
Despite the loss, the Swords, via tiebreaker of runs for minus runs against, advanced to the Gold Bracket, which is the championship round in the TOC. It's the first time the Swords have ever reached the Gold Bracket. Chaminade will play St. Martin's in one semifinal tomorrow at 1 p.m. (10 a.m. HST). The winner advances to the tournament championship game at 3:15 p.m. PDT.
Tritons starter Jennifer Manuel handcuffed the potent Swords bats as she retired the first 11 batters.
Rayna Strom-Okimoto (Aiea, HI/Aiea) broke up Manuel's bid for a perfect game in the fourth with a 2-out single, then
Aja Keyes (Kaneohe, HI/Lutheran) followed with a single up the middle.
Tumamaopavaiai Enos (Pahoa, HI/Pahoa) walked loading the bases, but Manuel induced a groundout to extinguish the Swords threat.
UCSD got on the board in the first on Caitlin Brown's RBI single to left. The Tritons added a second run in the second when Mya Romero scored all the way from first on a 2-out error by CUH.
UCSD added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to extend the lead to 4-0. Hannah Duarte would relieve Manuel in the CUH sixth and shut the Swords down, allowing no runs to two hits.
Chaminade starter
Kaitlyn Watanabe (Kula, HI/Baldwin) suffered her first loss since March 13, falling to 10-6. She lasted only two innings, allowing one run on two hits.
Manuel (8-1) got the win for the Tritons, pitching five strong innings, allowing two hits and two walks. Duarte earned her first save of the season, as she and Manuel held the Silverswords to only four base hits – all singles – on the evening.
The two finalists in the Gold Bracket are awarded team trophies, something that might serve as motivation for the Swords.
“We want to get a trophy “Chaminade head coach Kent Yamaguchi said. “It'll be great goal for us. We've never been in the Gold Bracket. It takes a good team to get that far.”
Chaminade and St. Martin's met at the Tournament of Champions last year, with the Saints pulling out a 4-3 win in pool play.
