WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team began Pacific West Conference action by dropping both games of a doubleheader to in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University, 10-2 and 9-1 in five innings, Sunday at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.
Sophomore shortstop
Rainelle Matsuoka was 4-for-7 in the twin bill which included a solo homer in the nightcap for the Silverswords (2-7 overall, 0-2 PacWest).
Sienna Santiago was 5-for-7 with three RBI and two runs for the Sharks (6-2, 2-0 PacWest).
Game 1
With the weekend being designated as "Rivalry Weekend" with four Chaminade vs. HPU contests, the softball 'Swords carried over the "White Out" theme from Saturday's men's and women's basketball games by dressing in white. It was the first time in over 15 years the softball program had donned all-white uniforms.
But it was the Sharks that struck first with Noelani Boyer's solo homer and another run scoring on a dropped line drive that put them up 2-0 in the first inning.
HPU tacked on two more runs in the second but Chaminade got a run back in the bottom of the inning. After
Ashlyn Yagin's one-out single, an error on
Kayla Higuchi's sacrifice bunt moved her to third. Two batters later,
Kayla Henmi punched a chopper in the hole through the left side to plate Yagin, cutting the deficit to 4-1.
However, HPU added a run in the fifth then five more in the seventh. The 'Swords scored their second run of the game in the bottom of the seventh on
Coco Stewart's sacrifice foul out to deep left field.
Alexis Morales tossed five innings to pick up the win despite walking six batters. Santiago went 3-for-4 with a run and drove in a pair.
Luana Moreno lasted three innings for Chaminade, allowing four runs on eight hits. Higuchi tossed the final four frames, allowing five earned runs on five hits.
Yagin had a career-high three hits for the 'Swords, who stranded 12 runners on base including six in scoring position. Matsuoka had two knocks in four at-bats.
Game 2
Chaminade wasted no time in getting on the board as Matsuoka crushed a 1-2 offering from Sharks' starter Emiliee Leonard into left for a lead-off solo homer, her second round-tripper this season.
But HPU responded in a big way in the next half inning as they plated seven runs off 'Swords' starter
Kali Kitsinis, who was making her first career start. The big blow was a grand slam from Brazzlyn Tovio-Asato that chased Kitsinis.
Moreno was summoned from the bull pen and got defensive help immediately as Dominique Walker dropped a single down the right field line but
Alisen Endsley fired a perfect dart to Matsuoka to catch Walker trying to stretch a single into a double.
HPU then tacked on two more runs in the fifth but CUH was unable to plate a run to prevent the run-rule.
Leonard went the distance for HPU, improving to 2-0. Kayla Sanchez and Carolann Toyama each had two RBI in addition to Tovio-Asato's four.
Kitsinis was tagged with the loss to fall to 0-1. After belting out a season-high nine hits in Game 1, the 'Swords were held to just four in the nightcap with Matsuoka accounting for two of the hits.
Jenn Betian got hits in both contests to extend her reached-base streak to nine.
The Silverswords will attempt to snap their six game slide Saturday as they host defending PacWest champion Azusa Pacific on Saturday at CORP Field. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 12 p.m. with live audio coverage on GoSwords.com.
