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Box Score 2 WAIPIO, Hawai'i – For the second consecutive season, the Chaminade University softball team saw its season finale foiled by Hawai'i-Hilo.
The Silverswords wrapped up the 2014 campaign on the short end of the Pacific West Conference doubleheader against the Vulcans, 8-6 and 7-1, at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park on Sunday.
The Silverswords fell to 9-32 overall and 7-23 in the PacWest while the Vulcans ended the year at 22-20 and 15-14.
Chaminade first baseman
Theresa Capllonch and right fielder
Samantha Ford both tied career-highs with three hits and drove in two runs each in the first game.
Game 1:Chaminade opened the bottom of the first on
Elia Lizarraga's lead-off triple to right center, the first three-bagger of her career. Two batters later,
Samantha Ford got the 'Swords on the board, lifting a sacrifice fly to center, allowing Lizarraga to score, making it 1-0.
The Silverswords added another run on the board in the second when
Jenn Betian lined a shot down the left field line, allowing
Theresa Capllonch, who led off the inning with a double, to give Chaminade a 2-0 advantage.
In the third, the 'Swords again got the lead-off batter on with Lizarraga's single to center. Chaminade would load the bases against UH-Hilo starter Ashley Nelson and Capllonch made it 3-0 CUH with an RBI single to right.
The Vulcans would claw back in the fourth, getting a pair of runs on a Kaylie Drew RBI double and a two-out throwing error. Meanwhile the 'Swords encountered some bad luck in the bottom of the fourth when Betian hit a towering fly ball to straight-away center field, but Kristina Victa reached over the fence, taking away a potential homer away from the freshman.
Chaminade did get a run back in the fifth when
Sierra Mendiola led off with a walk, then stole second. Ford would bring her home on a two-out single to center to make it 4-2.
But things unraveled in the sixth as UH-Hilo scored six runs, sending 11 batters to the plate to take an 8-4 lead. With a light rain trickling down from the heavens, two of the runs in the frame were bases-loaded walks as well a wild pitch which scored another.
The 'Swords would make things interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Ford led off with an infield single and two batters later, Capllonch's second double of the game enabled Ford to come all the way home, cutting the deficit to 8-5 with Capllonch moved to third on the throw. Russ then made it 8-6 on her RBI groundout. But Nelson shut the door, getting Betian to ground out to end the game.
Nelson picked up the complete game win to improve to 12-10.
Brett Aspel was tagged with the loss to fall to 4-19, although only four runs of the seven she allowed were earned.
Kaitlyn Watanabe pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief for the 'Swords.
Melanie Morelos, Victa and Drew each had two hits with Drew driving in a pair of runs for UH-Hilo. Capllonch had two doubles among her three hits along with two runs and her two RBI while Ford also collected a pair of runs and RBIs.
Game 2The Vulcans wasted no time in the top of the first, scoring on Rebecca Lee's RBI double, followed by Emily Green's two-run blast to left, giving UH-Hilo a 3-0 lead.
The visitor's tacked on two more runs in the third on Drew's RBI infield single to third and an error.
Chaminade finally got on the board in the fifth as
Kaleen Terayama drew a lead-off walk then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman right fielder
Makena Moniz-Jefferson then delivered a bloop single to center to drive in Terayama – both the hit and RBI career-firsts for Moniz-Jefferson – as the Silverswords closed to 5-1.
The Vulcans added on two insurance runs in the top of the seventh on Brittany Huff's two-run double.
CUH freshman pinch-hitter
Kylie Nishino drew a lead-off walk to open the seventh, but was caught on the back end of a 5-3 double play. After
Noelani Maglinti got on by an error, Hilo starter Alyse Harris struck out Moniz-Jefferson to end the game.
Harris got the win on a complete-game five-hitter, improving to 2-1. Watanabe (4-9), who started Game 2, took the loss allowing five runs on six hits.
Chelsea Camello went 4.2 innings of relief for the Silverswords, allowing two runs on six hits.
Lee, the 2013 PacWest Player of the Year, ended her brilliant two-year UHH career going 2-for-3 in the second game, finishing with a .504 batting average to win the conference's batting crown. Victa and Greene also had a pair of base knocks while Greene and Huff drove in two each.
Stewart was the only Silversword with multiple hits in the second contest, going 2-for-2 with a walk. Phelps went 1-for-2 in the game to finish with as the team's batting champion with a career-best .383 average. She also threw out two would-be base stealers, giving her 14 assists on stolen base attempts this season, second-most in the PacWest.
With no seniors on this year's squad, all 21 players on the roster are expected to return for the 2015 campaign.
