Box Score TURLOCK, CA – The Chaminade softball team opened the second day of pool play at the Tournament of Champions Presented by Mizuno this morning with a convincing 10-0 win over Northwest Nazarene. The 10 runs tied a season-high for the Silverswords, who also hit the mark last night against Cal State East Bay.
The Swords improved to 21-14 on the season and are 3-0 in pool play. CUH also has won 15 of its last 16 games. The Crusaders fell to 5-32. Swords starter
Kaitlyn Watanabe (Kula, HI/Baldwin), the current Hawai'i Tourism Authority Pac West Pitcher of the Week, picked up the win to improve to 10-5 on the season, joining teammate
Brett Aspel (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union) as a 10-game winner. It's the first time in over a decade since Chaminade has had two 10-game winners in the same season.
Chaminade opened the scoring in the first inning when
Kori Berinobis (Kaneohe, HI/Castle) tripled, then came home on a passed ball.
CUH added two more runs in the fourth on Watanabe's RBI single, bringing home
Letisha Vaba (Stockton, CA) and a run-scoring single by Berinobis, which brought home
Brianne Hornos (Lihue, HI/Kaua'i).
The Swords added to their lead in the sixth.
Shannan Hokama (Torrance, CA/South) brought
Samantha Ford (Honolulu, HI/Word of Life) home on an RBI fielder's choice. Two batters later,
Rayna Strom-Okimoto (Aiea, HI/Aiea), the reigning Hawai'i Tourism Authority Pac West Player of the Week, rapped a 2-run single to right, scoring Berinobis and Hokama. An error plated
Aja Keyes (Kaneohe, HI/Lutheran), as Chaminade grabbed a 7-0 lead.
Chaminade continued swinging the hot bat, as Strom-Okimoto took a pitch over the left field fence for a 2-run home run, her team-leading fifth round-tripper of the season. The Swords rounded out the scoring as Keyes scampered home when the third baseman committed an error on a
Noelani Maglinti (Kailua, HI/Kalaheo) infield single, making it 10-0.
Watanabe was brilliant in the circle, tossing the complete game shutout, allowing only four hits and walking none. Berinobis set a season-high for base hits, going 4-for-5 at the dish with two runs scored and an RBI. Strom-Okimoto, who was named to the TOC's all-tournament team last year, tied her season high in RBI with four by going 3-for-5 at the plate. Keyes, Ford and Watanabe each had two hits.
The Swords take on Cal State Dominguez Hills today at 1:30 p.m. PDT (10:30 a.m. HST). The Swords close pool play at 5:45 p.m. PDT (2:45 p.m. HST) today against UC San Diego, then advance to bracket play tomorrow. The Swords are the defending Bronze Bracket champions.
