WAIPIO, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team dropped a Pacific West Conference doubleheader to Dixie State Wednesday at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park, 7-1 and 12-0 in five innings.
The Red Storm (21-5 overall, 12-0 PacWest), who earlier in the day moved up one spot to No. 7 in the latest NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, got a 5-for-7 performance from designated player Brooklyn Brookshear, who drove in eight. She homered twice in the twin bill, including a grand slam in Game 2.
Jenn Betian hit her team-leading third home run of the season for the Silverswords (3-17, 2-10 PacWest) in the first game.
Amber Manuel got hits in both games to extend her hitting streak to five.
Game 1Dixie State scored twice in the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead. Then Betian led off the bottom of the second by belting the first pitch she saw from Michelle Duncan over the right-center field fence, her second dinger in three games. It was also the first homer that Duncan, a Preseason All-PacWest honoree, allowed this season.
But the Red Storm got the run back in the third on Beardshear's solo shot to right center, then added two more in the fourth for a 7-1 lead.
Chaminade's only other threat came in the fifth when
Kaleen Terayama got her first base hit of the season followed by
Ashley Phelps' infield single. But Duncan got out of the jam with a strikeout to end the inning.
After allowing runs to score in the first four innings, Chaminade starter
Brett Aspel settled down, retiring nine of the last 10 batters she faced in the final three frames.
Duncan scattered five hits in Game 1 while striking out seven to remain unbeaten in the circle on the season at 12-0. Aspel (2-4) struck out three in the loss.
Beardshear and Nicole Chavez each had two hits for Dixie State. Phelps, Betian, Terayama, Manuel and
Aja Keyes each had one hit for Chaminade.
Game 2Chaminade's first-inning woes continued as Dixie State scored five runs in the opening frame, the eighth straight game the 'Swords have allowed a first-inning run.
The Red Storm was held in check in the second and third innings but added three runs in the fourth to put the run-rule in effect. Then in the fifth with two outs, Beardshear added the exclamation mark when she worked a full count and launched her grand slam to dead center.
Beardshear was 3-for-4 and six RBI in the game.
Elia Lizarraga's second-inning infield single and Manuel's one-bagger to right in the fourth were the only hits for the Silverswords off DSU starter Aryn Feickhert, who also struck out eight and allowed no walks to improve to 8-3.
Chaminade starter
Kaitlyn Watanabe (0-6) allowed six runs in her three innings of work in taking the loss. The team also did not commit an error in the contest, the 'Swords first error-free game of the season.
The Silverswords will step back into non-conference action Tuesday against Faulkner University of Alabama, which ends their season-opening 22-game home stand before heading on the road for the first time. Live audio coverage of the doubleheader will be available on GoSwords.com.
