KANEOHE, O'ahu, Hawai'i – When the Chaminade University softball team faced Hawai'i Pacific University in their season-opener on March 7, the Silverswords took both games of the doubleheader. It represented the first sweep of their on-island counterparts since the program first began in 1988.
On Saturday at HPU's Howard Okita Field, the 'Swords made more firsts.
Behind game-ending hits from
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) and
Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney), Chaminade again took two from HPU, marking the first time they have taken four games from the Sharks in the same season during their 34-year history.
The Silverswords blanked the Sharks in the first game, 8-0 in six innings, then rallied from a three-run deficit in the nightcap behind Genera's steady pitching and a walk-off winner in the 10th.
The doubleheader was the "home" debut for the Silverswords (4-4) who are prevented from playing at their normal home field at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park due to restrictions at city and county recreational venues. They are using Okita Field as a temporary home during the 2021 season.
Although the 'Swords were the home team and batted in the bottom half of every inning, these are deemed road games per NCAA statistical guidelines for RPI and region ranking purposes since HPU is playing on their home turf.
Game 1
The 'Swords backed starter
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) in a three-run third inning with run-scoring hits from
Haley Hayakawa (Torrance, Calif./South),
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) and Genera.
It remained 3-0 until the sixth when
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae) got things started with her first career RBI, a squeeze play which brought home
Kieren Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Frontier). Hayakawa and
Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) followed with RBI singles upping the lead to 6-0. Then with the bases loaded, Obara laced a hot shot down the left field line to bring home the two runs to enact the mercy rule.
Meanwhile, Stockslager was cruising. She allowed just five base runners – none of whom reached third base – while allowing no walks and did not surrender her first hit until the fourth. She also struck out seven to pick up the win to improve to 3-3.
Chaminade had 10 hits in the first game with Hayakawa, Takemura and Genera each getting two knocks.
HPU's Megan Wilson took the loss to fall to 0-2.
Game 2
It was an inconspicuous start for Genera who was tagged for three runs in the second, two off a booming double to straight away center from her pitching counterpart, Malia Torres.
However, the sophomore settled down, retiring 10 of the next 11 batters which allowed the 'Swords to chip away at the 3-0 deficit.
Kobe Brown (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) put Chaminade on the board with a bloop single to left center followed by Moisa's RBI double to left center.
Down 3-2 in the seventh, the Sharks committed two costly errors, the second allowing Takemura to score the tying run from second to send the game into extra innings.
In the 10th and the international tie-breaker in effect (runner placed on second to start the inning), the 'Swords were in a bind after a wild pitch put runner Ashley Iseri at third with no outs. Genera got groundout to third for the first out then the 'Swords' defense made some magic. Poliahu Aina ripped a hopper towards second but Obara made a diving stab and in one motion, got up and fired a perfect strike at home, preventing Iseri to cross with the go-ahead score.
Then in the bottom of the frame with Moisa placed at second, Obara executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the senior right fielder to third. That allowed Genera to hammer a 0-1 offering deep to left for her second career walk-off hit.
Brown had three of Chaminade's eight hits while Genera's game-winner was her second of the nightcap. And while the latter's walk-off draws the highlight, her pitching was stellar, allowing just five base runners, two being singles, after the second inning. She also got some help from her battery mate,
Ronni Gallegos (Long Beach, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College/St. Joseph) who threw out two would-be base stealers.
Genera, who threw 146 pitches in all 10 innings, scattered six hits with four walks and four strikeouts in picking up her first win of the season.
Torres suffered the loss to fall to 0-3 while HPU is 0-5.
The Silverswords and Sharks wrap up this four-game series on Saturday starting noon at Okita Field. Chaminade will again be the home team for both contests with no spectators allowed per HPU institutional rules.
