KAILUA-KONA, Hawai'i – Back on the field for the first time in nearly two weeks, the Chaminade University softball team was looking to continue the momentum of their historic sweep of Hawai'i Pacific University.
Instead the University of Hawai'i Hilo put a damper in those plans by taking the first two games of a four-game series at Kealakehe High School Field on Saturday. The twin bill was moved from the Walter Victor Complex in Hilo on Thursday due to the threat of heavy rain.
The Vulcans won a 2-1, 10-inning marathon in the opening game, then scored all their runs in the first three innings in a darkness-shortened 7-0 win in the nightcap.
Chaminade (2-2 Pacific West Conference), which hit a blistering .360 as team against HPU, was held to just .186 against the Vulcans (3-0 PacWest).
Game 1
Taking advantage of a dropped pop-up by UH Hilo second baseman Darian Obara to lead off the game,
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) gladly accepted the gift from her older sister, scampering home on an RBI hit by
Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney).
Starter
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) helped keep the Vulcans bats in check and also worked out of trouble. The senior stranded runners in scoring position from the second through sixth innings to help keep the 1-0 lead intact.
However UH Hilo finally broke through in the sixth, putting runners at second and third. Chloe Domingo laced a one-hopper to short but
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) made a diving stop. Although her brilliant defensive play could not prevent the tying run from scoring, it kept the potential go-ahead run at third. Stockslager got out of the jam by striking out the next batter.
The 'Swords did have a prime opportunity to break the deadlock in the top of the seventh. A two-out walk by Obara then back-to-back singles from Takemura and
Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) loaded the bases but all three were left stranded.
Chaminade also had a chance in the top of the eighth when
Haley Hayakawa (Torrance, Calif./South) rounded third for home on a booted infield ball. But Hilo shortstop Kiarra Lincoln recovered and fired a perfect dart to home and throw out Hayakawa, albeit just barely, to end the inning and preserve the tie.
The 'Swords also had the go-ahead run at third in the ninth and 10th innings but couldn't push them across. It proved costly in the bottom half of the 10th when Markie Okamoto ended it with an RBI single.
Chaminade managed seven hits with Takemura and Ka'akimaka-Moisa getting two each. Stockslager went the distance, scattering 11 hits with four strikeouts in taking her first loss of the year.
Sara Bhatt tossed one inning of relief to earn the win.
Game 2
The tough loss seemed to linger as UH Hilo plated four runs in the first inning although a fifth was averted on an inning-ending 9-3-6-2 relay putout.
The Vulcans tacked on another run in the second on a throwing error then two more in the third for a 7-0 lead.
Chaminade had a run-scoring chance with the bases-loaded in the fourth but was unable to plate a run.
The game was called after five innings due to darkness. Bhatt, who made the Game 2 start, won her second game of the day while Genera was tagged with the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year. Hayakawa had two of the three Chaminade hits in the nightcap.
Jaeda Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt) had the other.
The two teams will wrap up the four-game series on Sunday as they return to Kelakehe High. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m.
