WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team returned to the comfortable confines of Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park, playing their first home game since March 14.
However, it was a rude homecoming as intercity rival Hawai'i Pacific University took both games of the doubleheader, 4-1 and 18-0, on Tuesday.
The Silverswords' bats continued to struggle, mustering only four hits in each contest.
Kayla Henmi (Torrance, Calif./South),
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) and
Ashlyn Yagin (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) had hits in both games.
Chaminade fell to 10-28 overall and 6-20 in the Pacific West Conference. The Sharks improved to 19-14 and 12-10 while also improving to 4-0 against fellow Hawai'i foes which also factors into the annual PacWest Hawai'i Challenge.
Game 1
After two scoreless innings, HPU broke through with a pair of RBI singles in the third. Chaminade countered in the fourth when Sharks second baseman Sierra Dias airmailed a throw to first while attempting an inning-ending double play on
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell). The throw nearly sailed into the bleachers allowing Matsuoka to cross the plate.
HPU got two big insurance runs in the sixth on Kiana Wolfe's line-drive triple which landed just inches inside the right field line, bringing home two runs to increase their lead to the game's final margin.
Devan Dickson (Avondale, Ariz./Westview) scattered 10 hits, allowing four runs with two walks in taking the loss to fall to 3-14.
Jordan Curry picked up the win to improve to 4-5.
Game 2
Before the Silverswords knew what hit them, HPU sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs in the first inning. Noelani Boyer hit a three-run homer while Brazzlyn Tovio-Asato had a solo shot off starter
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South), who had allowed just one homer all season coming into the series. The freshman was removed after just 1/3 of an inning after allowing six runs, her shortest outing of the season.
Dickson was summoned from the pen and didn't fare much better, allowing three runs on four hits in the inning.
The Sharks weren't done, batting around again in the second, tacking on seven more runs. They added two more in the third.
Meanwhile, Chaminade had several chances to plate runs. With Yagin, who was celebrating her birthday, on second in the second inning after a lead-off single,
Malia Ka`akimaka (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell) lined a shot to right-center but was robbed of extra bases by Cieana Curran who made a running catch in the gap to end the frame. The 'Swords also had the bases loaded in the fourth with one out but Henmi was thrown out at home on a force play followed by a foul pop-up.
Stockslager fell to 7-11.
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, Hawai'i/Aiea), seeing her first action in the circle since March 21, tossed the final four innings.
Emilee Leonard improved to 4-2 in the complete-game shutout.
Despite their struggles, the Silverswords did have some highlights. After being held hitless in the first game,
Jackie Najera (Santa Ana, Calif./Segerstrom), who is second nationally in doubles with 18, singled to lead off the fifth, giving her hits in 19 of her last 21 outings.
Also, the 'Swords who entered Tuesday ranked tied for fourth nationally in double plays turned at 0.58 per game, turned two more, giving them 23 on the season.
The Silverswords will next be in action Sunday when they travel to the Big Island to face Hawai'i Hilo where they will look to snap a 16-game slide to the Vulcans.
