HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team returned to regular season action Monday, taking on Western Oregon University at McKinley High School Field.
Facing their first Division II foe outside the Pacific West Conference since the 2019 Tournament of Champions, the Silverswords split the doubleheader, dropping the first game, 4-1, but taking the nightcap, 3-0.
Western Oregon (10-5) got a pair of two-run hits to win the opener but Chaminade (2-2) got a solid pitching performance by
Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney) who recorded the complete-game shutout in the second game.
Game 1: WOU 4, CUH 1
The Wolves wasted no time, putting up a two-spot in the top of the first inning on Natalie Willoughby's two-run homer.
Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) had an answer in the bottom of the frame with a line-drive double down the left field line, allowing
Haley Hayakawa (Torrance, Calif./South) to score, cutting the deficit to 2-1. It also extended her hit streak to five games dating back to the end of the 2021 season.
WOU got insurance runs in the fourth thanks to a two-run single by Sophie Franklin. Chaminade managed to get runners in scoring position in the second and fifth innings but couldn't bunch them together.
The 'Swords continued to showcase stellar defensive in the third inning with a diving catch by Hayakawa in left-center. That was followed by
Chasity McKean (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/College of Southern Nevada/Kapolei HS) who stole a home run away from Ewa Beach native Zoie Recolan to end the inning.
Jaeda Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt) took the loss to fall to 1-1 but pitched relatively well, with all four runs allowed coming on two hits of the eight WOU hits. She also walked just two and had two hits at the dish.
Chelsea Smith got the win to improve to 6-0 while Erica Soliz earned her first save of the season.
Game 2: CUH 3, WOU 0
Like Western Oregon did in the first game, this time it was Chaminade which put up a crooked number early.
With two outs, Ka'akimaka-Moisa was plunked by starter Reilly Tidwell, followed by
Kobe Brown's (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) single. McKean then worked a full count and on the eight pitch of the at-bat, lined a double to the right-center gap, allowing both runners to score.
McKean then stole third but the throw from the catch went into shallow left field, allowing the junior to score the Silverswords' third run of the inning.
The rest of the story belonged to Genera who made her regular season debut after missing most of the fall season and the season-opening series against Corban due to an injury. After tossing three innings in last Friday's exhibition against Division I Hawai'i, the junior threw 105 pitches on Monday, scattering seven hits and working out of several jams including in the seventh when WOU brought the tying run to the plate. Genera walked two and struck out two in tossing the shutout.
Chaminade's defense also continued to shine. After getting two double plays in Game 1, the 'Swords turned another in the third when Brown made a diving catch of a soft line drive with the relay getting the runner at second. CUH has executed five double plays this season and has one in all four games.
Tidwell took the loss to fall to 1-2 on the year.
The Silverswords will open PacWest action Sunday when they meet in-state rival Hawai'i Hilo at Sand Island Park's Maryknoll Field. First pitch is set for noon.
