HAYWARD, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team opened their first and only mainland road trip of the season by splitting a doubleheader against Holy Names Sunday at Pioneer Field on the Cal State East Bay campus.
Both games were ended via run-rule with the Silverswords winning the first, 8-0 in six innings, while the Hawks took the second, 14-0 in five.
The 'Swords are 3-21 on the season and got their first Pacific West Conference win of the season in Game 1 (1-13 PacWest). The Hawks are 3-22 and 2-16.
Ashlyn Yagin got a combined three hits for Chaminade to raise her batting average to .306 while
Luana Moreno tossed 6 2/3 innings of shutout work in lowering her ERA to 4.12.
Game 1
The Silverswords broke a scoreless game in the third inning, taking advantage of a pair of Hawk errors as Moreno helped her own cause with a sacrifice fly which scored
Rainelle Matsuoka.
In the fourth,
Kiana Ulufale led off with her second homer of the season, followed by base hits from Yagin and
Alisen Endsley.
Jenn Betian got the 'Swords' second run in the frame with her sacrifice fly to center, although Yagin was thrown out trying to advance to second. Matsuoka then blasted her team-leading fifth homer to put the visitors up 4-0.
Chaminade then dropped the hammer in the fifth.
Nicole Erichsen and Moreno had back-to-back walks to start the frame. Two batters later, Endsley got her first career RBIs by smacking a three-run jack to left center, giving the Silverswords a 7-0 cushion.
The 'Swords then put the mercy rule in effect on
Maureen Hutchinson's sacrifice fly to center, scoring Betian.
While the Chaminade bats finally strung hits together, Moreno was cruising in the circle and had a no-hitter through 3 2/3 innings. HNU didn't get multiple runners on base until the sixth and threatened to extend the game but Moreno slammed the door shut with fly outs to left and center, putting an end to the game as well as their 18-game slide.
Moreno, who has had little run support for most of the season, tossed her third career complete-game shutout in picking up the win to improve to 1-10. She threw a five-hitter with no walks while striking out three. The 'Swords tied their season-high with 10 hits with Yagin, Matsuoka, Ulufale and Endsley each getting a pair of knocks.
Cassidy Clavelle took the loss for the Hawks, falling to 1-8 while the 'Swords battered reliever Anekaila Crevani for five runs in two innings of work.
Game 2
Holy Names took advantage of two Chaminade inning-extending errors by plating four runs off starter
Kali Kitsinis, all of which were unearned.
The Hawks then padded their lead to 6-0 in the second which included a lead-off homer by Dyemond Dye which chased Kitsinis from the circle in favor of
Kayla Higuchi.
An eight-run fourth by HNU helped finish off the 'Swords and give the Hawks their first-ever home win over Chaminade. Since the series began in 2012, the visiting team has won 12 of the 14 meetings.
Kitsinis lasted just one inning as she took the loss to fall to 0-7, allowing five runs although four were unearned. Higuchi allowed nine runs in her 2 2/3 innings of relief while Moreno was summoned and got the final two outs of the fourth without allowing a run. CUH was able to muster only four hits in the nightcap with single base knocks from Yagin, Betian, Erichsen and
Coco Stewart.
Dye got the win to improve to 1-8. In addition to her solo homer, she also helped herself with another hit while driving in two more. The Hawks got a season-high in runs and also rapped out 17 hits, which nearly doubled their previous season high of nine. HNU also got their first shutout of the season.
The 'Swords' road trip continues Tuesday with a four-game series at Notre Dame de Namur.
