WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team opened a four-game series against Academy of Art with a doubleheader split Saturday at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.
The Silverswords failed to protect a seventh-inning lead in the first game of the twin bill, falling 3-2. But they rallied for a walk-off 7-6 win in the nightcap as
Kaleen Terayama was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Chaminade is 7-12 overall and 4-6 in the Pacific West Conference while Academy of Art is 7-10-1 and 3-1.
Game 1The Silverswords opened the scoring when
Ashlyn Yagin got her first career hit and RBI when her flare dropped into shallow center field to bring home
Amber Manuel. The run ended their 21 2/3 scoreless streak. Two batters later,
Sierra Mendiola's infield single scored
Kiana Ulufale to give the 'Swords a 2-0 lead.
Urban Knight's starter Breanna Mitchell helped her own cause, cutting their deficit in half when she led off the fourth with a homer to right.
The 'Swords were then looking to close the door in the seventh but the Urban Knights loaded the bases with one out then took a 3-2 lead on Juliana Lopez's two-run single to center.
Chaminade had three hits in the contest, all coming in the second inning. Starter
Luana Moreno took the loss with a complete game eight-hitter.
Mitchell got the win to improve to 5-4, retiring 16 of the last 18 batters she faced. She also went 3-for-3 at the plate.
Game 2ART U scored a single run in the first inning before Chaminade countered in its half of the frame. A
Jenn Betian walk,
Rainelle Matsuoka's double and another walk to Manuel loaded the bases with one out.
Nicole Erichsen then drove home Betian on a force play at second to square the contest at 1. After
Keani Passi walked to load the bases again, Alexa Peters' wild pitch brought home Manuel to make it 2-1. Two batters later, Terayama's RBI single to left made it 3-1 but Passi was tagged out in a run down between third and home to end the inning.
ART U got a run back in the third then the 'Swords struck again in their half of the frame. Terayama doubled to left center off the outstretched glove of a diving Jessica West, followed by consecutive walks to
Coco Stewart and Betian. Urban Knights' reliever Hunter Allen was then called for an illegal pitch, plating Terayama. Two batters later, Manuel singled up the middle to bring home Stewart and Betian, stretching Chaminade's lead to 6-2.
The Silverswords also got a standout defensive play in the top of the fifth. The Urban Knights loaded the bases with one where Samantha Klune lifted a fly ball to center. Passi made the catch as Lopez, who was at third, took off for home, but Passi fired a dart to Stewart at the plate. Lopez tried to retreat back to third but was caught in an inning-ending run down.
However ART U made it 6-4 in the sixth then took advantage of three Chaminade errors in the seventh to knot the score at 6.
But in the bottom of the seventh, Manuel led off with her third hit of the game. After a force out at second, Passi drew a walk then
Kayla Henmi bounced an infield single back to the pitchers' circle which moved pinch runner
Tiana Pantil to third. Mitchell was then summoned from the bullpen to face Terayama but on her fifth pitch of the at-bat, Mitchell went inside and grazed Terayama to bring home the winning run.
Moreno, who came out of the pen in the sixth, tossed two innings of relief to earn the win, improving her record to 5-6. Starter
Chelsea Camello went four innings, allowing two runs on five hits. The trio of Moreno, Camello and
Kayla Higuchi did not issue any walks in Game 2. Along with Manuel's 3-for-3, two-RBI game, Betian and Passi each walked three times.
Allen took the loss to fall to 1-3, throwing three innings while allowing three runs and walking four. Mitchell was 2-for-3 at the plate for ART U.
The teams meet again Sunday in a doubleheader at CORP Field starting at 2:30 p.m. Live streaming audio coverage will be available on GoSwords.com.
