WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team bid aloha to their seniors in their final home doubleheader of 2017.
However, Hawai'i Hilo ended up spoiling the Silverswords' Senior Night festivities, 8-1 and 12-1, Friday at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.
Coco Stewart, one of five Chaminade seniors, was a combined 3-for-4 in the doubleheader. Fellow seniors
Jenn Betian,
Nicole Erichsen and
Kylie Nishino were also honored after the game. Redshirt junior
Luana Moreno, who will be graduating and forgoing her final year of eligibility who was also being honored, homered in the first game.
Betian was plunked on the second pitch of the first contest, increasing her single-season school-record hit-by-pitch total to 27 on the year. The Orange, California native, who leads the nation in hit-by-pitch at 0.60 per game and is second all-time in NCAA Division II history in total HBP, was plunked for the 68
th time in her career.
Bailey Gaspar was a one-person wrecking crew for the Vulcans, going 6-for-8 and eight RBI. Three of her hits left the yard, twice in the first game, one being a grand slam.
Chaminade fell to 7-38 overall and 4-25 in the Pacific West Conference. UH Hilo improved to 26-20 and 17-13.
Game 1
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Moreno took Cyanne Fernandez's 1-2 offering over the left-field fence to square the game, her third homer of the year.
But UH Hilo answered in the fourth, loading the bases with no outs. Gaspar then hit a high fly ball off starter
Kali Kitsinis that got caught in the jet stream, barely clearing the fence in center for a grand slam, putting the Vulcans up 5-1. Two singles and a walk ended the freshmen's afternoon as the first seven batters of the frame reached. Moreno helped to put out the fire although UHH tacked on two more runs before the 'Swords finally got back into the dugout.
Moreno helped handcuff UH Hilo, retiring 11 of the next 14 batters before Gaspar homered for the second time in the seventh.
Stewart and Moreno each had two hits for the 'Swords with the latter tossing four innings of relief, allowing just Gaspar's homer. She also struck out five. Kitsinis was tagged with the loss.
Alisen Endsley and
Kiana Ulufale both went hitless in the game which ended both of their six-game hitting streaks. Moreno's homer gave the 'Swords 22 on the year, one shy of the school-record set last year.
Fernandez got the win while Gaspar drove in five. Cristina Menjivar was 4-for-5 at the dish.
Game 2
The Vulcans scored in every inning, putting up crooked numbers in the second, fourth and fifth.
The Silverswords got their only run of the game in the second. Erichsen and Stewart led off with back-to-back walks.
Maureen Hutchinson then singled to center but UH Hilo centerfielder Maria Steadmon bobbled the ball on the hop, allowing Erichsen to scamper home.
The Vulcans scored seven runs in the final three innings to invoke the run-rule in the fifth. However the 'Swords got excellent defense, executing a perfect 6-3-2 inning-ending putout of Gaspar who tried to sneak home in the second on an infield single and one from Hutchinson whose leaping play in left-center robbed Kacie Freudenberger of a potential homer in the fifth.
All five Chaminade seniors started the nightcap including Nishino who made her first career start, getting the call to play right field. The Waipahu High School graduate recorded a putout of a fly ball in the first.
The 'Swords also got a look at several players in new defensive spots in the fourth. Moreno, who started in the circle, moved to first base for the first time in her career. Erichsen moved from first to second while Betian went from second to shortstop, a position she played at for the first 103 games of her college career. And shortstop
Rainelle Matsuoka went into the pitcher's circle for the first time in her career. The Kaiser High School alumna has now played all six infield positions in her two-year CUH career.
Moreno lasted 3 2/3 innings in taking the loss, allowing nine runs while Matsuoka tossed the final 1 1/3 innings, surrendering three runs. Stewart was 1-for-1 with a walk in her final home game, raising her batting average to .214 on the year. The Irvine, California native is hitting .319 in her last 22 games.
Danielle Wilson got the win for UHH while Gaspar completed her monster night with a 4-for-4, three RBI, three run performance that included a fifth-inning homer, her third in the double dip.
The Silverswords conclude the season Saturday at BYU-Hawai'i. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
