WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team completed their final back-to-back doubleheaders of the season Sunday but visiting Academy of Art put on a power display at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park.
The Urban Knights, who had five home runs as a team all season entering Sunday, blasted six in the final twin bill of the series to give them 5-0 and 10-2 wins to capture the season series.
Rainelle Matsuoka (Honolulu/Kaiser) was the only Silversword with hits in both games while
Alexis Velazquez (Fontana, Calif./Howard College/Alta Loma HS) had two hits in the nightcap.
Chaminade fell to 11-31 overall and 8-22 in the Pacific West Conference. ART U improved to 11-10 and 7-4 in the PacWest.
Game 1
It didn't take very long for the Urban Knights to flex their muscle. In a harbinger of things to come, Brenna Youngquist blasted a three-run shot to center in the first inning off 'Swords' starter
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South).
ART U added its second bomb in the fifth when Lauren Henderson, coming off the Tournament of Champions batting title, hit a two-run shot to make it 5-0.
Chaminade was able to get runners on in all but second and third innings and had runners in scoring position in first and fourth. But unlike in Saturday's contests where they were able to hit in the clutch, the 'Swords could not get a runner to third.
Stockslager went five innings and allowed five runs although just two were earned.
Kayla Higuchi (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea) was impressive in relief, tossing two hitless innings. She walked two but both those runners were erased on an inning-ending double-play in the sixth and a perfect throw by catcher
Kiana Ulufale (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) on Dominique Sava'aetasi steal attempt in the seventh. 'Swords pitching also allowed only six hits in the game.
Hannah Rose Balke, who lasted just five batters in her start Saturday, was a much different pitcher Sunday, going the distance to pick up the win to improve to 4-8.
Game 2
This time it was Chaminade which struck first. With Matsuoka at third, Velazquez won the race to first on an infield single but the ball got past Youngquist, allowing Matsuoka to scamper home.
But the lead was short-lived when ART U got back-to-back solo homers to give them a 2-1 lead in the second which chased Higuchi from the circle for
Michelle Sasaki (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kalaheo).
After the Urban Knights tacked on a run in the third to make it 3-1, the 'Swords had the makings of a big inning in the fourth. With
Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis), who reached when she was plunked a conference-leading 15th time, at third and
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) at first, pinch-hitter
Kayla Russell (Honolulu/Kaiser) brought Matsumura home with a sharp single to center, Russell's first RBI of the season. Matsuoka then walked to load the bases but a strikeout derailed the inning although it left the 'Swords down just 3-2.
But in the fifth, ART U blew the game open when Younguist hit a three-run shot followed by a two-run double from Gracie Sotomayer to put the Urban Knights up 8-2. Youngquist then homered for a second time with a two-run blast in the sixth to put the run-rule in effect.
Pinch-hitter
Kaitlyn Castillo (Makawao, Maui, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Maui) dropped a single into right over the head of a diving second baseman in the seventh – her first hit since April 4, 2017 which also came against ART U – but the 'Swords were not able to game-extending run across.
Higuchi suffered the loss to fall to 1-12. Chaminade managed seven hits off ART U ace Cecilia Lopez but stranded seven runners although Ulufale just missed a three-run homer in the third when her fly ball to deep center was caught just shy of the fence.
Lopez picked up the win to improve to 6-3. Academy of Art banged out 16 hits in the backend game, four from Cassandra Mittman while Youngquist drove in five.
The 'Swords are probably happy that Youngquist does not have any more athletic eligibility remaining after this year. In 14 career games against Chaminade, the senior has a .615 career average (24-for-39) with seven homers and 22 RBI.
The Silverswords face intercity rival Hawai'i Pacific University on Saturday at Howard Okita Field with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. The Sharks are currently in third place in the PacWest and are battling Hawai'i Hilo for the No. 2 spot in the conference. Both games will count in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge standings. The Sharks swept the 'Swords at CORP Softball Complex in February.
