AZUSA, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team lost both games of a Pacific West Conference doubleheader to Azusa Pacific at Cougar Softball Field on Monday, falling 6-5 in the first game and 11-3 in six innings in the nightcap.
With game time temperatures in the 50s which fell into the 40s as the day progressed that more resembled a game in northern California instead of southern portion of the state, the Silverswords (8-22, 4-16 PacWest) had 3-0 first inning leads in both games but were unable to hang on. Freshman
Rainelle Matsuoka crushed a pair of three-run homers in the twin bill.
The Cougars improved to 18-7 and 9-3.
Game 1The Silverswords opened with a flurry. After their first two batters were retired in the top of the first inning,
Jenn Betian was plunked then
Amber Manuel's twisting fly ball caromed off the glove of right fielder Illiana Jimenez. Matusoka followed by taking the first pitch she saw from APU hurler Megan Mejia and deposited it to the deepest part of the park, over the 220-foot sign in dead center for a 3-0 lead. It was Matsuoka's team-leading seventh homer of the season, breaking her 13-game homerless streak.
After APU got a run in the bottom half of the frame, the 'Swords got it back when Cougars' first baseman Kayla Jimenez dropped a clean throw from third on Matsuoka's two-out at-bat. Jimenez's gaffe allowed
Kayla Henmi, who had wisely tagged up from second on Manuel's fly ball to center one batter earlier, to score making it 4-1.
The Cougars slowly chipped away, getting two runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and a two-out error to trail 4-3.
Manuel doubled to left to open the fifth and eventually came home on
Kaleen Terayama's fielder's choice ground out to third to increase Chaminade's lead to 5-3.
But APU got three runs in the bottom of the frame, all with two outs, to take a 6-5 lead.
Chaminade went down in order in the seventh to end the game.
Luana Moreno took the loss to fall to 5-10 on the year. The junior went the distance, allowing six runs, five earned, walking two and striking out three. Chaminade had only four hits and stranded five runners in scoring position.
Carly Xepoleas came out of the bullpen to pick up the win. She did not allow a run and surrendered only one hit in three innings of work.
Game 2In a virtual repeat of the first game, the first two 'Swords were retired before Betian walked followed by Manuel's base hit to left. Matsuoka then crushed Ariana von Zboray's pitch over the fence in left center for her second three-run bomb of the day, her eighth of the season.
But APU also had an answer, scoring single runs in the first, second and third innings to square the game at 3. The Cougars then tacked on three runs on four hits in the fourth inning to grab a 6-3 lead, chasing starter Cheslea Camello from the circle.
APU scored in every inning, tying the contest in the third and taking the lead with a three-run fourth. The Cougars plated four runs in the sixth to end the game via the run-rule.
Camello was charged with the loss to fall to 3-10. Chaminade was held to four hits in the contest.
Von Zboray went five innings to get the win. APU tallied 16 hits in the contest.
The Silverswords conclude the conference portion of their Mainland trip Wednesday at Concordia Irvine before heading north to Turlock, California for the Tournament of Champions on Friday.
