WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – Just 48 hours after the Chaminade University softball team put on a hitting clinic, the Silverswords bats went silent.
Dominican pitching limited the 'Swords to 12 total hits in Monday's doubleheader at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.
The Penguins' Katelyn Harden scattered eight hits in their 8-3 win in the opener then Ashlyn Moriarity tossed a four-hitter in their 4-1 nightcap victory.
Chaminade, which was 14-for-24 with runners in scoring position in Saturday's sweep of Notre Dame de Namur, could not come up with the big hit against the Penguins, logging an RISP of .125 (3-for-24).
The losses drop the Silverswords to 7-9 overall and 3-3 in the Pacific West Conference. Dominican improved to 6-13 and 4-4.
Game 1Chaminade opened the scoring with a bang as freshman
Rainelle Matsuoka blasted her sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left-center.
The Penguins tied it at 2 in the third then took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on an error. The 'Swords then squared the game in their half of the inning when
Amber Manuel brought in
Sierra Mendiola on a two-out single up the middle.
Dominican took 4-3 lead in the sixth on Tori Johnson's bases-loaded RBI groundout then made it a two-run game on the next at-bat on Catlyn Cavender's sac fly.
A three-run homer by Dahlen Dennis in the seventh made it 8-3, however the 'Swords managed to load the bases with two outs but all were left left stranded to end the game.
Luana Moreno took the loss to fall to 4-4, lasting 6 1/3 innings, allowing 12 hits with five of the eight runs allowed being earned.
Coco Stewart and
Kiana Ulufale each had two hits. Chaminade was 3-for-16 at the plate with runners in scoring position, stranding 10.
Harden improved to 2-4 on the season. Emily Ginn and Dennis each had three hits for Dominican.
Game 2Cavender homered in the top of the first to put DUC ahead, 1-0. But Chaminade tied it in the bottom half of the frame as Stewart led off with a walk, followed by a Matsuoka single and an error. Moriarity then threw a dirtball during
Nicole Erichsen's at-bat, which rolled to the backstop, allowing Stewart to scamper home on the wild pitch.
The Penguins scored twice in the second when Sarah McKenzie singled to left to bring home Dennis. On the play, McKenzie was tagged out trying to take second base which allowed Karitza Reyes to come home for the second run.
The 'Swords managed to get runners on base in the second, third and fourth innings but were unable to push a run across. Meanwhile, starter
Chelsea Camello managed to match Moriarity, scoreless inning for scoreless inning.
In the sixth, Chaminade had two on with no out as Erichsen singled and
Jenn Betian was plunked for the third time in the twin bill. Ulufale then hit a moon shot to the fence in left-center but the heavy air on a muggy Monday evening knocked the ball down and kept it in play for a fly-out.
DUC added an insurance run in the seventh for the game's final margin.
Camello absorbed the loss to fall to 3-4, despite throwing her first career seven-inning complete game. She scattered nine hits and walked three with a strikeout. After winning the first 15 meetings in the series, the 'Swords have now lost four straight to Dominican, dating back to last year.
Moriarity evened her record to 2-2.
Chaminade returns to action Thursday against Holy Names at CORP Field. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 4:30 p.m. with live streaming audio coverage on GoSwords.com.
