SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Less than 24 hours after being the mercy-rule victims, the Chaminade University softball team turned the tables on Dominican University of California in Monday's second doubleheader between the two teams.
The Silverswords snapped a 3-3 deadlock with a school-record 11 runs in the fifth inning of Game 1 for the 14-5, five-inning victory, after Dominican handed them a five-inning 10-1 loss on Sunday.
Chaminade then completed its first road sweep in nearly three years with the help of big performances at the top of the lineup card by plating multiple runs in three innings of their 11-4 win in the backend of the twin bill.
Jackie Najera (Santa Ana, Calif./Segerstrom) was a blistering 7-for-9 in the twin bill, scoring six runs and driving in five.
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) went 5-for-9 and six RBI including her fourth home run of the season in the first game.
The Silverswords, who posted back-to-back double-digit run games for the first time since April 2013, took three of the four games in the series to improve to 7-16 overall and 4-12 in the Pacific West Conference. Dominican fell to 8-20 and 3-11.
Game 1
After Najera led off with a single, Matsuoka doubled to the left-centerfield gap to plate Najera and the game's first run.
The Penguins got two runs in the second to take a 2-1 lead but Matsuoka parked Gaby Katafias' second pitch over the left field fence for the 19
th homer of her career to put the 'Swords ahead 3-2.
DUC got the tying run in the third but Chaminade exploded for its record-setting fifth.
With one out,
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South),
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) and
Makena Kealoha (Corona, Calif./Norco) had RBI singles.
Kaitlin Kim (Kahului, Hawai'i/St. Anthony) was plunked with the bases loaded then
Devan Dickson's (Avondale, Ariz./Westview) bouncer was booted by the shortstop for another run.
Maureen Hutchinson (Curtisville, Pa./Deer Lake) was also plunked with the bags juiced for the sixth run of the inning then Najera delivered a two-run double to the right-center gap followed by another Matsuoka RBI double. Stockslager then got her second single of the inning, a blooper that landed just inside the right-field line for the record-setting 11
th run of the frame. In all, 16 CUH batters stepped up to the plate in the fifth.
But Dominican didn't go away quietly in its half of the fifth in an attempt to stave off the run rule. The Penguins plated two to make it 14-5. Then with two runners on, including the game-extending run at second, Alexis Chinchilla lifted a fly-ball into shallow right-center.
Ashlyn Yagin (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) and Hutchinson converged on the ball with Yagin making a spectacular diving catch to end the game, the 'Swords' first mercy-rule victory this season.
Chaminade's 1-to-5 hitters in the order was 12-for-17, accounting for 10 runs and 10 RBI. Najera was 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs at the top of the order. Yagin, at the second spot in the order, was 0-for-2 but walked and had a sacrifice bunt. Matsuoka, at her usual No. 3 spot, was 3-for-4 for three runs and a career-high five RBI. Stockslager at the cleanup spot was 3-for-4 with two driven in and a run while Ulufale was 2-for-3 and an RBI. In all, the Silverswords amassed a season-high 13 hits.
Meanwhile Dickson scattered four hits in her five innings to pick up the win to improve to 3-7. Although she surrendered five runs, none were earned.
Katafias allowed 10 hits and 11 runs in taking the loss.
Game 2
The Penguins scored three times in the second inning and looked to mirror Sunday's second game when they run-ruled the 'Swords.
However Hutchinson led off the third with a double down the left field line, her first base hit of the season. After a walk to
Kayla Russell (Honolulu/Kaiser), Najera doubled to left to bring Hutchinson home followed by Yagin's RBI groundout. Matsuoka then squared the game at 3 on her double to right center.
Chaminade wasn't done, posting another crooked number in the fourth, loading the bases with no out. Russell was plunked to bring in the go-ahead run then Najera delivered the inning's big hit, sending a towering fly ball which bounced off the 220-foot sign in dead-center field, allowing two more runs to score. DUC then committed consecutive errors which brought home two more runs. The five-run frame put the 'Swords ahead 8-3.
The Penguins got a run back in the fifth but the Silverswords put the hammer down in the sixth. Najera led off with her third double of the game then raced home along with Yagin on Stockslager's two-run double.
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, Hawai'i/Aiea) then hit a bouncer to third but hustled down the line, forcing an errant throw from third baseman Tayler Munoz which brought Stockslager safely home for the third run of the frame.
Stockslager, who started Game 2 in the circle, pitched a perfect seventh to secure the sweep. The freshman scattered six hits with three strikeouts to improve to 4-7 while going 1-for-4 at the dish with a run and two driven in.
Najera capped off her day with a 3-for-5 performance with all three knocks being doubles while driving in three and scoring three. She also extended her hitting streak to six games. Matsuoka went 2-for-5 with an RBI while Ulufale and Hutchinson had two hits. Of the team's 11 hits, six were doubles. After having just one extra-base hit in their previous six games, the 'Swords had nine on Monday.
Katafias, who also started the nightcap, was shelled for all Chaminade hits in taking the loss to fall to 5-9.
Chaminade's last Mainland road sweep was on March 21, 2015 when they took a pair at Holy Names.
The Silverswords will face Notre Dame de Namur on Wednesday. The doubleheader is scheduled for noon at Notre Dame High School. However weather forecasts for Tuesday and Wednesday are calling for rain which may alter the location and times of the twin bill.
