WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team picked up their first Pacific West Conference win in dramatic fashion on Tuesday, rallying from deficits three times against Azusa Pacific in a wild 10-9, come-from-behind victory that lasted 11 innings.
Jackie Najera (Santa Ana, Calif./Segerstrom) had two hits in the first game and scored three runs including the walk-off winner on a force play by
Alisen Endsley (Orange, Calif./Orange Lutheran) at home in the 11
th after the 'Swords trailed 7-2.
It was the longest game in terms of innings since April 2009 when Chaminade played BYU-Hawai'i which also went 11. The game lasted 3 hours, 34 minutes, the longest in school history.
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) drove in two including a clutch two-out, game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
In the second game it was Azusa Pacific's turn to rally. Despite the game being suspended due to curfew, the Cougars scored three times when play resumed on Wednesday including the go-ahead run in the sixth.
Chaminade is 4-11 overall and 1-7 in the PacWest while Azusa Pacific is 5-12 and 1-5.
Game 1
After the Cougars plated the first run in the first, the 'Swords responded with two in their half of the inning on consecutive bases-loaded walks from Ulufale and
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South).
However APU plated the next five runs to take a 7-2 lead in the third but Chaminade came back in the fourth scoring two runs on an error by Cougars third baseman Becca Jewett. They inched even closer in the fifth on a throwing error followed by Najera's RBI single to make it 7-6.
In the seventh and down to their last out, the Silverswords finally caught the Cougars on Ulufale's RBI at 7 which sent the game to extra innings.
The 'Swords got a huge defensive stand in the eighth when a bunted pop-up on a hit-and-run was caught by third baseman
Makena Kealoha (Corona, Calif./Norco) who then fired a strike to first baseman
Kayla Russell (Honolulu/Kaiser) which resulted in an inning-ending double-play with the go-ahead run at third.
With the international tie-breaker rule enforced in the 10
th inning (runner placed at second to lead off), APU got a run across to take an 8-7 lead. Like the 'Swords in the eight, the Cougars also made a brilliant defensive play when shortstop Cayla Broussard made a diving stop of
Kayla Henmi's (Torrance, Calif./South) bouncer that was headed to center. Broussard made a flip to second for force out and, although Stockslager scored the tying run, Broussard's stop saved the winning run from scoring.
In the 11
th, Azusa Pacific plated the go-ahead run to go up 9-8 but again Chaminade countered. With Henmi placed at second, an error on Najera's bunt put runners at the corners with no out.
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) then bounced a ball into right, allowing Henmi to score the tying run. Two batters later with the bases loaded and one out, Endsley hit a roller to second baseman Amanda Woods, whose throw to nab Najera coming home from third on the force was late, allowing the 'Swords to complete the wild run-off win.
Six of Chaminade's nine hits and four RBI were from its 1-to-4 batters in the order. Najera and Matsuoka had two hits each. Endsley, who started the game at the non-hitting flex spot in the lineup card, was moved into the batting order and responded with two hits including her game-ending RBI.
Stockslager, who replaced starter
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, Hawai'i/Aiea) in the fourth, was spectacular in relief, throwing eight inning of four-hit ball with nine strikeouts. The freshman got the win to improve to 3-4.
The win snapped an 11-game losing streak to Azusa Pacific dating back to February 2011. The win also ended a 31-game slide to PacWest southwest pod opponents (APU, California Baptist, Concordia, Biola, Dixie State) with the 'Swords' last victory coming in February 2015 to No. 20 California Baptist.
APU starter Kat Ung, who no-hit Chaminade last year, went four innings, allowed four hits but walked seven in receiving a no-decision. Racqual Espinoza, the Cougars' third pitcher, took the loss to fall to 1-5. Woods had three hits and three RBI.
Game 2
APU opened the scoring on a first-inning wild pitch but Chaminade answered with two runs in bottom of the inning on Matsuoka's RBI ground-out followed by Stockslager's sharp single to center to put them ahead 2-1.
The Silverswords took a 3-1 lead on Ulufale's second-inning RBI base hit and also erased an APU threat in the top of the fourth on Kealoha's second 5-3 twin killing of the night.
But before the 'Swords had a chance to bat in their half of the fourth, the late-night curfew at CORP was enforced, suspending the game at that point. It's the second time in a week the Silverswords had a game suspended in the middle of the fourth.
The contest resumed Wednesday afternoon at Sand Island Park in downtown Honolulu and the 'Swords appeared to carry the momentum with Najera lashing a two-out double to the fence in right-center. However she was left stranded at second.
APU became the aggressors in its first at-bats of the day, executing a double-steal with one out. Chaminade then gifted the Cougars a run when a routine throw from catcher to pitcher sailed over Stockslager, bringing home a run and moving the runner from second. Two batters later, Becca Jewett singled to center, allowing the tying run to score.
The 'Swords also had opportunities but left a runner at second in the fifth and the bases loaded in the sixth.
In the seventh, APU again manufactured a run to take the lead. A bunt single and stolen base by Broussard put her in scoring position with no out. However, a passed ball aided the Cougars, moving Broussard to third as Megan Tucker's sacrifice fly brought her home as the go-ahead run. Stockslager struck the next two batters to get the Silverswords back in the dugout.
However, Chaminade was quietly retired in order in the seventh to end the game.
Ung tossed 5 1/3 inning of shutout ball out of the pen to get the win, improving to 3-5. The Cougars stole six bases in the second game.
Stockslager took the loss to fall to 2-5 although two of the four runs were unearned. She also struck out five as she lowered her ERA to 3.88.
The Silverswords will next be in action against perhaps their strongest foe of the year when unbeaten Dixie State comes to CORP Field. The 18-0 Trailblazers are ranked No. 3 in the NFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. with live streaming audio at GoSwords.com.
