WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team opened a four-game series against Dominican University of California by splitting their opening doubleheader Friday at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park Softball Complex.
The Silverswords dropped the first game, 6-3, before winning the nightcap, 5-1, with the help of a five-run sixth-inning.
Catcher and designated player
Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) belted homers in both games. She hit a three-run, game-tying jack in the first game, then came through with a go-ahead two-run shot in the second. The sophomore catcher and designated player went 4-for-7 with five RBI and two runs on the night. All four of her hits were for extra bases.
Chaminade is 9-10 and 6-6 in the Pacific West Conference while Dominican is 4-9 and 3-9.
Game 1
The game started inauspiciously for the 'Swords when Dahlen Dennis hit a two-out, three-run homer off starter
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea). Fourteen of the 26 runs she has surrendered this season have been in the first inning.
But like she has always done, Higuchi settled down and kept the Penguins off the board for the next two innings.
Meanwhile the 'Swords took advantage of a pair of two-out walks, culminated by Ka'akimaka-Moisa's towering fly ball that just landed out of the reach of DUC leftfielder Peyton Mott for a game-tying three-run homer.
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) followed with a double then consecutive walks issued to
Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis) and
Kayla Russell (Honolulu/Kaiser) loaded the bases to give Chaminade a chance to take the lead. However a pop-up ended the inning.
The Penguins retook the lead in the fourth on Vanessa Porto's RBI single and tacked on insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Higuchi took the loss to fall to 1-3, tossing a five-hitter in four innings of work.
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) threw the final three, although she was touched for the final two runs. Ka'akimaka-Moisa went 2-for-4 with a double in addition to her homer. Ulufale also went 2-for-4 with both hits being doubles, giving the senior five extra base hits already this season. Last year, Ulufale had just two.
Lauren Persi tossed the final 4 1/3 innings for the Penguins and did not allow a run to pick up the win in relief to improve to 2-3.
All nine runs in the game came with two outs.
Game 2
With Stockslager toeing the rubber in the second game, the former PacWest Pitcher of the Week kept the Penguins from crossing the plate until the fourth on a two-out hit by Mady Christensen.
Meanwhile the 'Swords were retired in order in the fourth and fifth innings until the sixth.
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) led off with a single to center then Ka'akimaka-Moisa came through in the clutch again, blasting starter Alyssa Waltman's 2-1 offering over the left field fence to put the 'Swords ahead. It was her team-leading fourth home run and 11th RBI of the season.
The next batter,
Marlisa Berrelleza (Indio, Calif./Indio) then socked a no-doubt, pinch-hit home run to right for back-to-back homers, the second time this season that Chaminade hit consecutive bombs. Later with the bases loaded,
Kaitlyn Castillo (Makawao, Maui, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Maui) scored when DUC catcher Alexis Chinchilla dropped a clean throw on a force play at the plate. The 'Swords added their fifth run of the frame on
Makena Kealoha's (Corona, Calif./Norco) double into the left-center gap which plated
Karyna Baldomino (Diamond Bar, Calif./Rowland).
That was all Stockslager needed. Despite having Penguins at second and third, Stockslager induced a game-ending grounder which snapped Chaminade's four-game losing streak.
In addition to her go-ahead homer, Ka'akimaka-Moisa also doubled in the first, giving her a 1.714 slugging percentage so far in the series. Matsuoka paced the 'Swords' lineup with three hits. Stockslager struck out six in the complete-game win, upping her record to 7-3.
Waltman took the loss, falling to 1-4.
The series concludes on Saturday at CORP Softball Complex with first pitch of the doubleheader starting at noon. It will also wrap up the Silverswords' 23-game season-opening home stand then depart for the mainland in the PacWest's Southern California gauntlet.
