WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team opened Pacific West Conference action against conference newcomer Biola University Monday at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.
The Silverswords jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first game before the Eagles responded with eight unanswered runs in the final four innings for an 8-3 win.
The second game started out with both teams trading leads in the first three innings. Freshman second baseman
Jackie Najera's (Santa Ana, Calif./Segerstrom) first career homer was a grand slam and also had a school-record six RBI. The game was suspended in the bottom of the fourth due to rain and continued on Tuesday prior to the scheduled doubleheader.
Game 1
Chaminade (3-6 overall, 0-2 PacWest) struck first in the bottom of the second on an RBI ground-out by pitcher
Devan Dickson (Avondale, Ariz./Westview). The 'Swords added two more runs in the third when
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) lined a double into the right-center field gap to plate two runs, giving Chaminade a 3-0 lead against BU starter Terri Van Dagens who came into Monday with the conference's second-lowest ERA at 0.99.
But the Eagles came back in the fourth on a two-run homer from Kayla Heff then tied it at 3 on Hailey Boyett's RBI sacrifice fly.
Biola (13-3, 2-0 PacWest)
then took the lead in the sixth off Ari Gonzales' pinch-hit three-run bomb. The Eagles threatened to add more when on an attempted double-steal try. Hailey Martinez successfully stole second base when Noel Balderston took off for home.
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) fired a dart at home to nab Balderston then
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) in turn threw out Martinez who tried to swipe third for a rare 2-6-2-3 double-play which ended the inning.
BU's two-run homer in the seventh proved to be the final margin.
Stockslager and Ulufale proved two hits for Chaminade. Dickson took the loss to fall to 1-3.
Biola's Paige Austin, who relived Van Dagens in the fifth, tossed three innings of no-hit ball and issued just one base runner via a hit-by-pitch and improved to 6-1.
Game 2
With Stockslager towing the rubber, the Eagles scored three runs off her in the first, all unearned.
But the 'Swords replied in big way in the second, loading the bases with no out. Najera then launched her slam off Paula Damas to put Chaminade ahead 4-3.
BU, however, came right back in the third, retaking the lead on Missy Poti's two-run single, her second two-RBI hit of the game. The Eagles added two more in the inning to grab a 7-4 lead.
In the third, Najera drove in her fifth run of the game on a bases-loaded walk.
Before a pitch could be thrown in the bottom of the fourth, rain halted the game and play was suspended.
The game resumed the following day and, in the fifth, they loaded the bases against Austin. Najera then was hit by a pitch to force in a run and her record-setting sixth RBI then
Kayla Henmi (Torrance, Calif./South) tied the game with a sacrifice fly.
But Biola plated two runs in the sixth to take a 9-7 lead. Chaminade threatened in the seventh, getting the tying runs on with a lead-off double from
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, Hawai'i/Aiea) and an HBP from
Michelle Sasaki (Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Kalaheo) with no outs. But Austin got two strikeouts to quell the threat.
Austin picked up the win to improve to 7-1 with Poti driving in five.
Stockslager got the loss to fall to 2-3 despite striking out eight. Dickson had three hits.
