WAIPIO, O'ahu, Hawai'i – Close wasn't close enough for the Chaminade University softball team.
The Silverswords twice nearly rallied from large deficits but it wasn't enough as they were swept by Azusa Pacific in a Pacific West Conference doubleheader Monday at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park, 7-6 and 6-4.
Cougars third baseman Madison Hernandez, who earlier in the day captured PacWest Co-Player of the Week honors, homered twice in Game 1, including the go-ahead shot in the top of the seventh. The 'Swords had erased a 6-0 deficit with the help of back-to-back homers by
Jenn Betian and
Theresa Capllonch.
Azusa Pacific completed the sweep, surviving a Chaminade seventh-inning rally to win 6-4.
Hernandez, who was 9-for-15 with 13 RBI and two homers in her previous five games coming into Monday, continued to sizzle at the plate, going 6-for-8 in the twin bill with two homers, five RBI and three runs.
Aja Keyes went 4-for-8 with a run and RBI for the 'Swords in both contests.
The Silverswords slipped to 3-15 overall and 2-8 in the PacWest while the Cougars improved to 13-13 and 7-8.
Game 1Azusa Pacific took advantage of several Chaminade defensive miscues in the first three innings to take a 6-0 lead. One of errors included a dropped popup in foul territory on Hernandez's third inning at-bat. She homered to right center on the very next pitch.
But the 'Swords were unfazed and began to chip away at the deficit. With runners on second and third in the fourth,
Ashley Phelps drew a one-out walk and an illegal pitch on the play brought home Betian for Chaminade's first run of the game.
Elia Lizarraga then struck out, but on the play, Phelps stole second, resulting in
Kaleen Terayama getting caught in a run down between third and home. APU catcher Ally Wimer's throw to third nicked off shortstop Illiana Jimenez's glove and trickled into left field to allow Terayama to score. Keyes then brought Phelps home on her RBI single to right to cut APU's lead to 6-3.
The Silversword then flexed their muscle in the fifth as Betian crushed reliever Destinee Levesque's offering into right center for a two-run blast, her second homer of the season. Carly Xepoleas was then summoned from the bullpen, but Capllonch greeted her with a solo shot to center, tying the game at 6 as the 'Swords went back-to-back for the first time this season. It was also Capllonch's first career homer.
Hernandez then added her second solo dinger in the seventh to give APU a 7-6 lead, but the 'Swords starting making noise in their final half-inning.
Amber Manuel was hit in the helmet by Xepoleas on a full count to lead off the frame. Two batters later, Betian singled to move Manuel to second, then Xepoleas uncorked a wild pitch to put the winning run in scoring position. However she got Terayama to strike out swinging to end the game.
Hernandez was 3-for-4 at the dish for the Cougars with four RBI along with her two homers.
Keyes was 3-for-4 with an RBI for Chaminade while Betian was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Xepoleas got the win while Chaminade reliever
Kaitlyn Watanabe (0-5) took the loss, despite allowing only two hits and allowing only Hernandez's seventh-inning homer as her only run surrendered in the game.
Game 2For the sixth straight game, the Silverswords surrendered a first-inning run as Hernandez again delivered with an RBI single to center. This time, the 'Swords had a response.
Chaminade used some hustle in the bottom of the first as
Shannan Hokama beat the throw from shortstop on her slow roller with two outs. Meanwhile, Keyes who was at second rounded third and never stopped, beating the throw from first to tie the game at 1.
In the second, Manuel hit a one-out infield single to third and
Nicole Erichsen was plunked in the back on a 3-0 count.
Sierra Mendiola then hit a hard grounder off the shortstop's glove which trickled past two fielders into right center, allowing Manuel to scamper home and putting Erichsen at third for Mendiola's first career extra base hit. Phelps then brought Erichsen home on her RBI sac fly to right, giving Chaminade a 3-1 advantage.
However the lead was short-lived as nine Cougars came to bat in the third as four runs crossed the plate to give Azusa Pacific a 5-3 lead. Later APU added another run in the seventh to give it a 6-3 cushion.
But the 'Swords weren't about to go down meekly. Mendiola drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the seventh, took second on reliever Narissa Garcia's wild pitch and scored on Phelps' single to right. Lizarraga then singled to right center to put the tying run on base as Keyes stepped up to the plate, representing the winning run. Keyes then hit a scalding comebacker that was headed up the middle, but Garcia reached out to snare the hard liner then caught Lizarraga at first for a critical double play. Hokama then popped out to end the game.
Like in Game 1, Hernandez went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run and RBI for APU.
Phelps and Hokama each had two hits for the Silverswords with Phelps driving in a pair to give her seven RBI on the season, tied for second-best on the team.
Xepoleas earned her second win of the night to improve her record to 6-5 on the season while Garcia earned her first save of the year. Chaminade starter
Luana Moreno lasted only 2 1/3 inning, allowing five runs on nine hits, dropping her record to 1-6.
The Silverswords will play their final conference home doubleheader of their current home stand on Wednesday when they face Dixie State at CORP Field. The Red Storm, currently ranked No. 8 in the latest NFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll, are the defending PacWest co-champions and last season came to within one game of playing for the NCAA Division II national championship.
The twin bill gets underway at 4:30 p.m. with live streaming audio coverage of both games on GoSwords.com.
