WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team broke open the bats Sunday to accomplish a feat that they hadn't done in nearly four years.
The Silverswords put together a combined 21-hits in their second straight sweep of Notre Dame de Namur, 8-0 and 5-1, at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park Softball Complex.
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) belted a sixth-inning, game-ending homer to end the first game via the mercy-rule, supporting a brilliant pitching performance by
Michelle Sasaki (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kalaheo). Matsuoka went 4-for-8 with three runs in the twin bill.
After getting just four extra base hits in their first nine games, the Silverswords socked 11 extra-base hits against the Argonauts and homered in three of the four games over the weekend.
The 'Swords took all four games in the series, their first four-game sweep since March 2015 when they won all four at Holy Names. It was the first such occurrence at CORP since March 2010 when they took two twin bills from Dominican.
Chaminade improved to 7-6 overall and 4-2 in the Pacific West Conference. Notre Dame de Namur fell to 0-17 and 0-12.
Game 1
The Silverswords struck first in the third inning, loading the bases for
Maureen Hutchinson (Curtisville, Pa./Deer Lake) who ripped an RBI single to left. Two batters later,
Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis) laced a liner into right-center field which brought home two more runs for a 3-0 lead.
Matsuoka, making her first positional start of the season at third base after a pair of pinch-hitting appearances on Saturday, hit a ground-rule double to open the third then scampered home on
Ashlyn Yagin's (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) RBI single.
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) accounted for Chaminade's next two runs, scoring on an NDNU throwing error on
Kayla Henmi's (Torrance, Calif./South) stolen base in the fourth and a driving in another on a bases-loaded walk in the fifth. Matsumura's sacrifice fly later in the inning made it 7-0, the freshman shortstop's third run driven in.
While Chaminade was busy on the basepaths, Sasaki quietly put together her best outing in the circle. She did not allow a hit after the second inning and retired 14 of the final 17 batters she faced.
In the bottom of the sixth, Matsuoka unloaded a shot to center which ended the game via run-rule. It was her 21st career homer, putting her just four behind
Brandi Sasaki's school-record of 25.
Matsuoka went 3-for-4 with all three hits being for extra bases. Yagin and
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) both had two hits. Chaminade scored in each inning except for the first. Henmi had her six-game hitting streak end although her perfect bunt down the third-base line and no Argo covering first was nullified when she was called out for being outside the batter's box.
Sasaki's gem earned her first career win. Sofia Garcia took the loss for the Argos.
Game 2
Yagin's RBI double in the third followed by a run-scoring single by
Marlisa Berrelleza (Indio, Calif./Indio) made it 2-0 Chaminade. NDNU got a run back in the fifth but the 'Swords' half of the inning, Matsuoka led off with a single then
Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) parked Katie Bettis' offering over the centerfield fence. The two-run blast, her second homer of the series, made it 4-1.
The 'Swords added another run in the sixth when pinch-hitter
Alexas Presto-Ahsing (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) hit a bouncer just over the third base bag, allowing Obara to score all the way from third.
Madelyn Stockslager earned the complete-game win to improve to 5-2. She scattered five hits and struck out a season-high eight.
Berrelleza went 3-for-3, the first multi-hit game of her career while Ka'akimaka-Moisa has reached base in all 11 games this season.
Selena Sandoval (0-4) took the loss.
The Silverswords return to action Monday, March 11, when they open a four-game series against Holy Names at CORP Softball Complex.
