LAIE, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team ended four years of North Shore frustration Friday, sweeping a Pacific West Conference doubleheader at BYU-Hawai'i, 8-5 and 8-0.
The wins snapped their eight-game losing streak at BYUH Softball Field, dating back to April 13, 2011 when they took a twin bill against the Seasiders in Laie.
The Silverswords (10-34 overall, 9-19 PacWest), who took three of four from the season series, got three hits each in the doubleheader from
Coco Stewart and
Theresa Capllonch while
Jenn Betian smacked her team-leading fifth home run in the second game. The Seasiders fell to 7-25 overall and 3-19 in the PacWest.
Game 1The Silverswords took advantage of starter Brittany Vasquez's wildness in the top of the first inning when she plunked lead-off hitter
Ashley Phelps and No. 3 batter
Shannan Hokama then walked
Aja Keyes to load the bases. Vasquez then issued consecutive free passes to
Nicole Erichsen and Stewart that gave the 'Swords a 2-0 lead despite putting the ball in play once, coming on an
Elia Lizarraga sacrifice bunt. Vasquez threw 19 pitches, 15 outside the strike zone, was then relieved by Chelsie Childs, who retired the side.
Chaminade tacked on another run in the third on Capllonch's two-out single to left, scoring Erichsen, who led-off earlier in the inning with a double.
The 'Swords blew the game open the in fourth as they loaded the bases off Childs. Erichsen then delivered a two-run single to center, making it 5-0, chasing Childs from the circle, replaced by Destyni Valencia. After a walk to Stewart loaded the bases, Capllonch came through again with her second two-out hit, a single up the middle bringing home Keyes and Erichsen as the four-run inning made it 7-0.
Meanwhile, Chaminade starter
Brett Aspel held the Seasiders at bay, allowing only two hits through the first three innings. She ran into trouble in the fourth, allowing three hits, including Kalynn Latu's two-run double which made it 7-2. With BYUH threating with runners on second and third with one out, Aspel induced a ground out for the second out then struck out Courtney Hiruko, the PacWest's 10
th-best hitter, to end the frame.
The 'Swords made it 8-2 in the fifth as a wild pitch plated Phelps, who singled earlier in the inning.
After allowing a lead-off double in the bottom of the fifth, Aspel was relieved by
Kaitlyn Watanabe, who retired the side, allowing only a two-out single, cutting the 'Swords' lead to 8-3.
But the Silverswords, who have blown several late-inning leads this season, allowed a pair of two-out runs to score in the seventh to put the tying run at the plate. Watanabe got Latu to ground out at third to end the game, securing Chaminade's 8-5 win, its first victory in Laie since 2011.
Aspel's four innings got her the win to improve to 5-13, allowing two runs with two strikeouts. Watanabe earned her third save of the season, tying her for the conference lead, by tossing three innings of four-hit ball while both runs she allowed were unearned. Vasquez (1-5) was charged with the loss.
Erichsen drove in three runs, setting her career-high while Capllonch also had three RBI, tying her career-best. The duo, as well as Phelps, each had two hits in the contest for Chaminade. Whitney Gustafson went 3-for-3 for BYUH.
Game 2After a scoreless first inning, Betian crushed the first pitch she saw from Valencia, a two-run blast to center in the second, to give Chaminade a 2-0 lead. The sophomore shortstop became the first Silversword to go yard in Laie since Brandi Sasaki did it on April 16, 2010.
The Silverswords then put up a crooked number in the fifth. Hokama delivered a bases-loaded single to right to drive in
Kaleen Terayama, making it 3-0. With the bases still juiced, Keyes lined an RBI single to right, but Josey Walker booted the ball, which rolled all the way to the fence.
Amber Manuel scored on the hit while Lizarraga and Hokama came home on the error. Meanwhile Keyes hustled all the way around the diamond to score as well with the "Little League grand slam" being part of the five-spot in the framing, giving Chaminade a 7-0 lead.
The 'Swords tacked on another run in the seventh as Stewart beat out a potential inning-ending double play which scored Keyes from third.
Chaminade starter
Luana Moreno had perhaps her finest pitching performance of the season, tossing a complete game five-hit shutout to improve to 4-10, the first shutout by a Silverswords pitcher this season. Valencia suffered the loss, falling to 4-12.
Chaminade tagged nine hits off Seasider pitching with Hokama and Stewart each getting two hits. Stewart had an RBI, giving her a team-high 21 on the year. Hokama and Keyes also drove in a run each. Liz Talataina had two hits off Moreno, both going for extra bases.
The 'Swords will return to action next Saturday as they head to the Big Island to face third-place Hawai'i-Hilo. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12 p.m.
