KAILUA-KONA, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University softball team on Sunday dropped their second doubleheader in as many days to the University of Hawai'i Hilo at Kealakehe High School Field. The Silverswords lost the first game, 7-0, followed by a 10-2 count in six innings.
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) and
Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis) each had three total hits in the twin bill. Two of Obara's knocks were her first two extra-base hits of the season.
Chaminade fell to 2-4 on the year while UH Hilo remained undefeated at 5-0.
Game 1
The Vulcans scored a single run in the first but their big inning was the second where they scored four runs, all with two outs.
Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney) relived starter
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) to get the final out.
Genera was masterful, holding UH Hilo to just two runs, one of which was unearned, with two hits and three strikeouts in her 4 2/3 innings of relief.
Meanwhile Vulcans' hurler Valerie Alvarado (2-0) held the 'Swords' bats nearly silent. Alvarado surrendered Obara's first extra-base hit of the year, a double, into the left-field corner in the second but held the visitors hitless until the seventh on an infield single by Matsumura.
Stockslager took the loss to fall to 2-2. Meanwhile Genera's ERA fell to 4.61 on the year.
Game 2
Chaminade threatened in the first by loading the bases on two walks and a
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) base hit. However UH Hilo leftfielder Kamaile Labasan made a running catch in foul territory to end the threat.
The 'Swords also put runners on second and third with one out but again, the 'Swords were turned back.
The Silverswords finally pieced together hits in the third. Down 2-0, Genera ripped a two-out double into right center followed by Obara's double off the base of the fence in center which brought Genera home. Matsumura then hit a hard shot off the glove of UH Hilo second baseman Darian Obara which allowed Chaminade's Obara – Darian's younger sister – to turn on the afterburners and score the tying run.
But with a UH Hilo runner on third in the bottom of the frame, Markie Okamoto put down a safety squeeze to bring in the go-ahead run. UH Hilo tacked on another run in the fourth to go up, 4-2.
In the top of fifth, Chaminade got runners on first and second when Darian tripped over Cheyne between bases on Matsumura's ground ball. The younger Obara was called for runner's interference, which ended the inning.
UH Hilo added six runs in the fifth and sixth innings to finish the game via run-rule.
Both Obara and Matsumura had two hits and drove in a run for the 'Swords, who had six total hits in the nightcap. Stockslager made the start and went the distance but saw her record fall to 2-3.
Sara Bhatt tossed 3 1/3 relief to get her third win of the series.
The 'Swords are back in action this weekend and will make their "home" debut on Friday against Hawai'i Pacific University. Because of state and City and County of Honolulu rules, their normal home field at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park in Waipahu will not be utilized this year. Instead they will play all home games at HPU's Howard Okita Field in Kaneohe.
