KANEOHE, O'ahu, Hawai'i – Saturday was the start of the second four-game series between Chaminade University and the University of Hawai'i Hilo which has plenty of Pacific West Conference Hawai'i Pod implications.
The Silverswords, sitting in second place of the pod and looking to atone for the first series when they lost the first four meetings back in March, managed to work a split against the first place Vulcans at Hawai'i Pacific University's Howard Okita Field.
The 'Swords dropped the opening game, 6-3, thanks to a three-run pinch-hit go-ahead homer by Taisha Bratton in the sixth. But Chaminade came back in the nightcap and held off the Vulcans, 2-1, ending UH Hilo's undefeated season and snapping its 11-game winning streak, dating back to last year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.
Jaeda Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt) drove in a run in each game for the 7-5 Silverswords, who are 2 ½ games behind the Vulcans (8-1).
Game 1
After UH Hilo tacked on a first inning run, the 'Swords took advantage in the bottom of the frame off the wildness of starter Valerie Alvarado, who walked four straight to drive in the first Chaminade run.
Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis) then singled to put Chaminade up, 2-1, followed by Cabunoc's RBI infield knock.
Alvarado settled down as the game progressed while
Madelyn Stockslager (Torrance, Calif./South) also held the Vulcans' bats in check. But UH Hilo got a two-out run in the fifth which seemed to be the momentum swinger, setting up its four-run sixth inning, the big blow being Bratton's go-ahead pinch-hit shot, the first home run allowed by a Chaminade hurler this year.
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae) had a two-out single, extending her hitting streak to three but the 'Swords were unable to get the tying run to the plate.
Stockslager took the loss to fall to 4-4. Alvarado, who allowed just one earned run in her first 30 innings, got the win to improve to 4-0, although all three runs she surrendered were earned which raised her ERA to a still-impressive 0.76.
Game 2
While there was a lot of early excitement on the base paths in the first game, the nightcap was just the opposite with
Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney) and Sara Bhatt keeping the bases empty for the most part.
The 'Swords finally got runners on when
Haley Hayakawa (Torrance, Calif./South) and
Ronni Gallegos (Long Beach, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College/Saint Joseph HS) were plunked back-to-back to lead off the third. After
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) sacrificed them over, Cabunoc's sacrifice fly brought Hayakawa home for the game's first run. That brought up
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) who doubled off the fence in left to drive in Gallegos, giving the 'Swords a 2-0 lead.
Genera, who allowed just one hit to the game's leadoff batter, then retired eight straight before running into trouble in the sixth. UH Hilo then pieced together four consecutive hits and loaded the bases but the sophomore limited the damage to just one run.
The Vulcans continued the momentum with two hits followed by a third by top-of-the-order batter Kiarra Lincoln. However Lincoln's hit was hit too sharply which allowed right fielder
Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) to quickly fire the ball back to the infield, holding pinch-runner Angel Prewitt at third. Then with the bases loaded and two outs, Darian Obara hit a ground ball to her younger sister, Cheyne, at second base whose toss to first ended the game and UH Hilo's undefeated season and winning streak.
Despite the Vulcans getting seven of their eight hits in the final two innings, Genera stranded the bases loaded in the last two and allowed just the one run which lowered her ERA to 2.94. She also had a base hit, although her five-game streak with an RBI came to an end.
Bhatt suffered her first loss of the season to fall to 3-1.
The teams will meet again on Sunday with a twin bill starting at noon and mark be the final time this season the Vulcans face the Silverswords on O'ahu.
