LAIE, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team wrapped up the 2017 season by splitting their season finale against BYU-Hawai'i at BYUH Softball Field.
The Silverswords collected 10 hits as seven players got at least one knock in their 7-1 first game win. The Seasiders, playing their final game ever, won a pitcher's duel in their 2-1 victory in the nightcap.
Senior
Coco Stewart, playing in her final game as a 'Sword, got base hits in both games, ending her career on a five-game hitting streak while
Rainelle Matsuoka drove in three on the day.
Stewart's fellow senior
Jenn Betian was beaned in the first game as the nation's hit-by-pitch leader finished the year with a school-record 28 HBPs, a mark she originally set last season. Betian was plunked 69 times in her four years at Chaminade and ends her career second on the NCAA Division II's career hit-by-pitch list. Only Sarah Wittenburg of Texas Women's University has more (95 from 2012-15).
The games were also the finale of a rivalry that goes back three decades. BYUH is shutting down its intercollegiate athletics program after this season.
Both teams took a final photo together following the doubleheader to commemorate BYUH's final game.
Game 1
Chaminade took advantage of two BYUH errors in the top of the first inning as Betian reached on an error, advanced to second on a passed ball then scored on a throwing error by pitcher Taiana Williamson.
The Seasiders knotted the game at one in their half of the first but CUH went ahead 2-1 in the second on
Luana Moreno's RBI double to left.
BYUH threatened to knot the game in the third as left fielder
Maureen Hutchinson made a diving effort on Sarah Captain's sinking liner with one out. The ball bounced under the freshman's glove but Hutchinson managed to recover the ball at the fence and fired a dart to Stewart at third to retire Captain with no harm done.
In the fourth,
Kiana Ulufale led off with a double off the base of the left field fence then back-to-back errors by the Sider's catcher on pick-off attempts allowed her to scamper home. Singles from
Alisen Endsley and Betian as well as Endsley's hustle to beat out a force play at second loaded the bases.
Ashlyn Yagin then brought home Endsley for the inning's second run then Matsuoka provided the big blow with a two-run double to left-center, putting Chaminade ahead 6-1.
The 'Swords tacked on their final run in the fifth on Moreno's single which brought home Stewart.
That would be more than enough run support for freshman hurler
Kali Kitsinis who retired the side in order in the seventh to preserve the win. Her complete-game, seven-hitter netted her first career victory.
Hutchinson and Moreno each had two hits in the game. Moreno's two RBI was her first career multi-RBI contest.
Williamson was tagged with the loss.
Game 2
BYUH struck first on Lizabelle Talataina's two-run homer off Moreno to left in the bottom of the first.
The 'Swords' only run of the game came in the third on Matsuoka's third-inning solo home run to centerfield which not only ended her 23-game homerless streak but was the fourth time she's gone yard at BYUH Softball Field in six career games there.
The sophomore's sixth homer of the season was also the 15
th in her career. Matsuoka will enter the 2018 season needing just one to tie Pua Reis for second in the school's all-time home run list.
Matsuoka was 2-for-3 in the contest. Despite getting tagged with the loss, Moreno, in the final game of her career, pitched brilliantly after allowing Talataina's homer by retiring 15 of the final 18 batters she faced as she scattered six hits with no walks.
Meghan Wantz went the distance to earn the win in not only the Seasiders' final game for the softball program but also the final home game for all BYUH athletic programs.
The Silverswords ended the season at 8-39 overall and 5-26 in the Pacific West Conference while the Seasiders finished their final year at 13-30 and 10-21 in the PacWest.
