LA MIRADA, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team opened their final Southern California series of the season Monday by dropping the opening twin bill at Biola University at Freedom Field.
The Silverswords lost by a 3-2 count in the first game then dropped the nightcap, 11-0 in five innings.
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) had base hits in both games and accounted for the team's lone RBI in the first game.
Alexis Velazquez (Fontana, Calif./Howard College/Alta Loma HS) also had hits in both contests to extend her hitting streak to six games.
Chaminade fell to 10-21 on the season and 7-17 in the Pacific West Conference. Biola is 14-10 and 9-5.
Game 1
The 'Swords worked out of a major jam in the first inning after the Eagles put runners at the corners with no out. But
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) threw out Haley Martinez at second on a steal attempt for the first out then Chaminade starter
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) induced a comebacker for the second and a fly-out to right to end the inning unscathed.
The 'Swords got their first hit the fourth, a lead-off single by
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) who went to second when the ball went past centerfielder Areana Ramos.
Ashlyn Yagin (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) then sacrificed her to third followed by a solid single up the middle by Matsuoka which scored Obara to put the 'Swords up 1-0.
However the lead proved to be short-lived when the Eagles tied it in the bottom-half of the frame on a wild pitch which came with two outs.
Biola went ahead in the fifth on a Hailey Boyett RBI double followed by a third run later in the inning.
Matsuoka led off the sixth with a double into the right-center gap. Two batters and two outs later, a two-out comebacker by
Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) was mishandled by BU pitcher Paula Damas. Ka'akimaka-Moisa hustled up the first base line and beat Damas' throw to first, allowing Matsuoka to score the run to clip the deficit to 3-2.
In the seventh and two outs and pinch-hitter
Maureen Hutchinson (Curtisville, Pa./Deer Lake) facing a 0-2 count, the third pitch in the at-bat from Damas hit her in the knee. However the home plate umpire ruled that Hutchinson did not make an attempt to avoid the pitch and ruled it as a called-third strike for a game-ending strikeout.
Stockslager took the loss to fall to 8-9 on the season. Matsuoka went 2-for-3 at the dish while
Makena Kealoha (Corona, Calif./Norco) and Velazquez also had knocks.
Damas got the win to improve to 5-3.
Game 2
The Eagles didn't wait until the middle innings in the nightcap, putting up a two-spot in the first including a Boyett solo homer.
The Silverswords appeared to have scored a run in the second with the bases loaded and one out on
Kayla Henmi's (Torrance, Calif./South) groundout to second, allowing Ka'akimaka-Moisa to come home. But after a discussion by the umpiring crew, they ruled that Henmi's hit was actually caught on the fly and did not touch the ground and that the relay to first completed a 4-3 double play, nullifying the run which ended the inning.
The Eagles bats then awoke with a flurry in the third, putting up five runs on six hits. The 'Swords also hurt themselves with a pair of errors in the frame.
Biola added four runs in the fourth for the game's final margin. Chaminade was unable to plate the four runs necessary to avoid the run-rule.
The Silverswords did manage to get runners in scoring position in all five innings. However, in a rough microcosm of the season, they were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the game.
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea) was charged with the loss to fall to 1-8.
Michelle Sasaki (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kalaheo) pitched the final two innings. Matsuoka got her third hit of the day in the third while Kealoha had a pinch-hit single in the fifth.
Karyna Baldomino (Diamond Bar, Calif./Rowland) had a Texas Leaguer that dropped just inside the right-field line for a double, her second two-bagger in as many career hits. Velazquez extended her hitting streak by sneaking a single just inside the third-base bag with the 'Swords down to their final out of the game.
Jennifer Morinishi pitched four innings of relief to improve to 3-3.
The Silverswords and Eagles wrap up the series Tuesday starting at 4 p.m. PDT (1 p.m. HST).
