SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team resumed Pacific West Conference action Monday, dropping a doubleheader to Dominican University of California at Penguins Field.
Playing for the fourth consecutive day, the Silverswords lost the first game, 4-1, then 10-2 in six innings in the nightcap.
Chaminade fell to 6-30 on the season and 3-17 in the PacWest. Dominican improved to 18-20 and 15-7.
Game 1
A first-inning double and a sacrifice fly the following inning gave the Penguins a 2-0 lead after two frames then tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth. With a runner at second, a throw to first on Alyssa Lanza's bunt was thrown into right field, allowing the run to score and Lanza moving to third. DUC pitcher Catelyn Cavendar helped her own cause with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
Chaminade finally plated a run in the seventh. Pinch-hitter
Kaitlin Kim walked, was sacrificed to second on
Kayla Higuchi's bunt then scored on
Alisen Endsley's double to the left-center-field gap. But the 'Swords couldn't get the tying run at the plate.
Luana Moreno look the loss for the 'Swords, scattering seven hits with a strikeout and no walks. Two of the runs were unearned. Endsley went 2-for-3 and an RBI.
Cavendar did it all for the Penguins by driving in and scoring a run at the plate and improved to 12-5, tossing a three-hitter in the circle. She also struck out 15 Chaminade batters, the most suffered by the 'Swords this season, which is one shy of the school record.
Game 2
Chaminade took advantage of two DUC errors in the first inning, leading to a run when catcher Alexis Chinchilla's throw sailed into right field on
Coco Stewart's bunt single. The error allowed
Rainelle Matsuoka to cross the plate to put the 'Swords ahead 1-0.
But the Penguins scored twice in the third to take the lead, benefitting from two Chaminade errors. It marked the 35
th time in 36 games this season the 'Swords have committed an error.
Dominican scored eight times from the fourth to sixth innings. The game fittingly ended on a dropped fly ball with the bases loaded in the sixth, the error allowing the game-ending mercy-rule run to score.
Kali Kitsinis suffered the loss, allowing five runs on six hits in four-plus innings while Higuchi tossed the final 1 1/3 in relief. Stewart continued to show that her season-opening slump is behind her, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI double in the fifth. The senior catcher/third baseman is batting .333 (14-for-42) in her last 13 games, raising her average 103 points since March 26.
Jenn Betian was plunked three times during the twin bill, giving her 19 HBP on the season, tying her for second-most in the NCAA.
Gaby Katafias got the win for DUC while Haley Cheek, Dahlen Dennis and Cavendar all homered. Like Cavender in the first game, Katafias allowed only three hits.
The Silverswords will play their fifth doubleheader in as many days when they end their road trip Tuesday at Academy of Art.
