SAN LEANDRO, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team got offensive Saturday, belting out 29 combined hits as the Silverswords took a doubleheader from Holy Names, 9-5 and 12-6, at Thrasher Park.
It is the two highest scoring games by the Silverswords (7-19, 6-10 Pacific West Conference) this season as they stretched their winning streak to four, their longest since April 2013.
Third baseman
Coco Stewart continued to swing a hot stick for Chaminade, going 6-for-9 at the plate with six RBI and two runs in the twin bill. The sophomore is 8-for-11 with 10 RBI in her last three games.
Elia Lizarraga had five hits, three runs and two RBI in the twin bill while
Theresa Capllonch had four base knocks while driving in two.
It's also the first four-game road sweep for Chaminade since March 2013 when it took all four at Dominican.
Holy Names fell to 3-27 overall and 2-14 in the PacWest.
Game 1The Silverswords exploded for five runs in the top of the first.
Amber Manuel delivered the game's first run with her bases-loaded RBI groundout. With the bases still loaded, an error by HNU shortstop Marissa Perez brought home Lizarraga with the Silverswords' second run. Stewart then delivered an RBI single to bring home
Aja Keyes while
Jenn Betian also scored courtesy of an error in left field to make it 4-0. Capllonch then capped off the frame with her RBI base hit, chasing HNU starter Kayla Simonson from the circle after only 2/3 innings.
The Hawks managed to get two runs back in the home half of the third, but Chaminade countered by putting up another crooked number in the fifth. Stewart singled to bring Betian home then stole second while
Shannan Hokama came home on the delayed steal. Another Hawks error plated Stewart for the third run of the frame then Lizarraga delivered an RBI single to right bringing home
Sierra Mendiola for the fourth run of the inning, giving the 'Swords a 9-2 lead.
A two-run homer in the sixth by HNU's Deni Yandell would make it 9-4 ending starter
Kaitlyn Watanabe's outing. Friday's Game 1 starter
Brett Aspel relieved Watanabe and helped extinguish the fire, retiring the inning's final two batters.
The Hawks managed to squeak out a run against the southpaw in the ninth and put the tying run in the on-deck circle with runners at the corners, but Aspel struck Danielle Santoro to end the game, giving the series win to the Silverswords. In a reversal of roles, Aspel was relieved by Watanabe in Friday's first game to help preserve the win.
Watanabe (1-7) picked up her first win of the season, scattering eight hits with no walks and a strikeout in 5 1/3 innings. Simonson (0-2) was charged with the loss.
The Silverswords had 13 hits, led by Stewart's 3-for-4, who scored twice and drove in two. Phelps, Lizarraga and Keyes each had two hits. Manuel went 0-for-4 ending her nine-game hitting streak, but did drive in her team-leading 13
th RBI.
Lyveana Ilayan had three hits for Holy Names.
Game 2Chaminade got off to another quick start in the opening inning, this time off starter Vanessa Pulido. A lead-off walk to Phelps, a bunt single by Lizarraga and another walk to Keyes loaded the bases with no outs. Manuel then singled to left to drive in Phelps and two batters later, Hokama's RBI groundout plated Lizarraga to bring up Stewart, who singled to right to bring home Keyes and Manuel for a 4-0 lead.
But the Hawks bit back hard in the bottom of the inning. Aspel, who got the start for the Silverswords, failed to record an out as the first four Hawks got on board, including an RBI single from Romero. A walk to load the bases chased Aspel from the circle in favor of
Luana Moreno, but the redshirt freshman walked in a run to the first batter she faced with still no outs, reducing the 'Swords' lead to 4-2. But Moreno settled down, striking out Karolanne Tipton for the first out. Phelps then tagged out Santoro on a botched steal attempt of home for the second out then Moreno induced a pop-up to end the inning.
Chaminade responded in the second on Keyes' RBI single to center which scored Phelps, then got another run on a bases-loaded error, giving the 'Swords a 6-2 lead.
But the Hawks refused to go away, adding two runs in the third to pull them within two runs.
But again Chaminade had a response in the fourth as the Silverswords took advantage of two errors which opened the inning. Stewart continued to sizzle with a two-run double down the left field line. Capllonch followed with an RBI single, then Pulido uncorked a wild pitch on a ball four to Phelps that brought Capllonch home. The 'Swords tacked on a fifth run on Lizarraga's RBI hit to right to plate
Kaleen Terayama, giving Chaminade an 11-4 lead.
Chaminade got its 12
th run in the seventh inning on Mendiola's RBI groundout.
Moreno got the win in relief, tossing seven innings while scattering eight hits with a strikeout and a pair of walks to improve to 3-6. Pullido suffered the complete game loss to fall to 1-13.
The 'Swords rapped out 16 base hits in the game, the most since April 2013. Stewart, Lizarraga and Capllonch each went 3-for-5 while Stewart drove in four. Manuel had two hits and scored three times while driving in another. Lizarraga, Keyes, Hokama, Capllonch and Mendiola also delivered single RBIs each for Chaminade.
Ilayan was 3-for-4 for Holy Names in the second game.
The Silverswords' Bay Area road swing continues Monday when they face Notre Dame de Namur in San Rafael, Calif.
