AZUSA, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team opened their annual two-week long road trip Tuesday by dropping both ends of a doubleheader at Azusa Pacific by identical 8-0 scores at Cougars Softball Field.
The Silverswords were held to two hits in each game with
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) accounting for half of them.
Chaminade fell to 10-13 overall and 7-9 in the Pacific West Conference. Azusa Pacific evened its record to 9-9 with a 5-4 mark in the conference.
Game 1
The 'Swords managed to keep APU off the board in the first when Melanie Abzun hit a hard shot off the glove of
Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis). Brielle Fraijo tried to score from second but the freshman shortstop recovered in shallow left field and threw Fraijo out at the plate to end the inning.
APU scored twice in its half of the second although the second run scored as the 'Swords turned their sixth double play of the year.
The Cougars added a run in the third but their big inning came in the fourth. Azusa Pacific scored five times in the frame with the big blow coming from starting pitcher Racqual Espinoza who helped her own cause with a two-run homer to put them up 8-0, placing the run-rule in effect. Chaminade's two errors in the game came in the inning, causing four of the runs to be unearned.
Espinoza retired the final 10 batters she faced to pick up the win to improve to 5-4.
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) allowed eight runs, four earned, with a strikeout to take the loss and fall to 8-5. The 'Swords' two hits were by Matsuoka, who had a hard liner to center in the first, and
Cheyne Obara's (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) blooper in the second.
Kayla Henmi (Torrance, Calif./South), back after missing six games due to an injury, was the only other baserunner, drawing a walk to lead off the game.
Game 2
APU batted around in the first inning off starter
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea), scoring five runs as her opening-inning struggles continued. Of the 34 runs she has allowed this season, 19 have been in the first inning.
The Cougars tacked on three more runs in the next inning, two off the bat of Amanda Woods, whose two-run home run chased Higuchi from the circle.
The 'Swords had a prime opportunity to get on the board in the third, with walks by Obara and
Alexis Velazquez (Fontana, Calif./Howard College/Alta Loma HS) sandwiching a single by
Makena Kealoha (Corona, Calif./Norco) which loaded the bases with one out. But Matsuoka, who singled in the first, lined a shot back to the circle. Kat Ung made the snag and doubled up Obara at third with the hard-luck play resulting in no runs.
Down 8-0, Chaminade managed to coax walks by
Karyna Baldomino (Diamond Bar, Calif./Rowland) and Kealoha off reliever Megan Meijia in the fifth. But the 'Swords could not push the run across to stave off the run-rule.
Ung who has a no-hitter against the 'Swords in 2017, but has struggled this season with a 4.40 ERA entering the twin bill, got the win to improve to 3-5.
Higuchi took the loss to fall to 1-5.
Michelle Sasaki (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kalaheo) tossed the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on two hits with no walks.
The Silverswords and Cougars conclude their four-game series Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Hawai'i time.
