WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team came oh so close of their first conference win of the season.
The Silverswords dropped a pair of Pacific West Conference games to Concordia University Irvine on Tuesday, 4-0 and 4-3, at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.
Chaminade fell to 2-12 overall and 0-6 in PacWest action while Concordia improved to 15-8-2 and 6-3.
Game 1
In the first inning with runners at first and second with two outs, 'Swords shortstop
Rainelle Matsuoka fielded a two-hopper by Kailey Palazzolo but was bumped into by Eagles' baserunner McKinsey Thorpe, causing Matsuoka's throw to sail into right field, allowing Thorpe to score. Instead of interference being called against Thorpe which would've ended the inning, the third base umpire ruled that the contact was incidental and the play was upheld.
An RBI triple and sacrifice fly in the second increased CUI's lead to 3-0.
CUI starter, Grayson Harvey, the PacWest's Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year last season who no-hit the 'Swords in Irvine last year, continued to baffle Chaminade bats, as she allowed just two hits.
But CUH starter
Kali Kitsinis matched her batter-for-batter, as the freshman who is from Orange, California near the Concordia campus, retired 15 of 16 batters from the second inning on with the only base runner being a hit batter in the fourth.
CUI added an insurance run in the seventh via an error.
Despite Harvey (7-4) getting the win on a two-hitter, the 'Swords made her work, inducing eight walks and pushing her pitch count to 140, the most Harvey has thrown in a regulation seven-inning game this season.
Kitsinis (0-2) went the distance in her first career complete game as she allowed only three hits – a season-low for a 'Swords' complete-game starter – and a walk while throwing 106 pitches. Two of the four runs she allowed were unearned.
Game 2
In stark contrast to the first game, the night cap proved to be about the long ball as all seven runs scored between both teams were via the home run.
Matsuoka blasted her third dinger of the season in the first inning which just cleared the foul pole in left. Two innings later,
Jenn Betian went dead center for her second homer of the season to put Chaminade up, 2-0.
Concordia went ahead in the fourth on Mackenzie Graham's three-run bomb but the 'Swords answered in the bottom of the frame when
Luana Moreno belted a screaming liner over the fence in left center, tying the game at 3. The blast chased CUI starter Bethann McCann after only 3 1/3 innings, her shortest outing of the season. McCann, who allowed all three Silversword homers, surrendered only three all season coming into the evening.
But CUI went ahead on Amanda Gjertsen's solo shot in the sixth.
However the 'Swords threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Betian led off with a towering double over the head of right fielder Nicole Chavez, followed by an infield single from
Kayla Henmi and a bouncer up the middle by Matsuoka. However, with Harvey entering in a save situation, the 'Swords could not push across the tying and winning runs despite having the bases loaded with no outs.
Jordan Quinn (2-2) got the win in relief, tossing 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, four-hit ball. Harvey got her first save of the season. Thorpe went 4-for-4 at the plate for Concordia.
Despite taking the loss to fall to 2-3, Chaminade starter
Kayla Higuchi pitched effectively, scattering 11 hits and walking only one while 53 of her 83 pitchers were for strikes. She also got some outstanding defensive help with two outfield assists at third base from the arms of Henmi and
Ashlyn Yagin as well as an inning-ending double-play from third baseman
Kiana Ulufale in the first inning.
Betian, Matsuoka and
Alisen Endsley each had two hits for Chaminade, which got a season-high 10 knocks against the PacWest's second-best pitching staff in terms of ERA (1.96).
The 'Swords also made Concordia's pitching staff work as Harvey, McCann and Quinn threw a combined 263 pitches in 14 innings. In comparison, Chaminade's trio of Kitsinis, Higuchi and Moreno threw 213 in the same amount of frames.
The Silverswords will step out of non-conference action as they host Baldwin Wallace Thursday at CORP Field starting at 4:30 p.m. Live audio coverage will be available on GoSwords.com.
