HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team wrapped up their season-opening 14-game home stand by taking both games of Sunday's doubleheader against Holy Names at Sand Island Park, sweeping the season series.
The Silverswords blanked the Hawks, 7-0, in the first game behind a complete-game shutout from
Jaeda Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt) and a school-record four double plays turned. They completed the four-game series by rallying from a 5-0 deficit, scoring nine unanswered runs – tied for the largest deficit overcome in school history – to finish off the sweep.
Freshman
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) continued her recent hitting tear by going a combined 4-for-7 with four runs and an RBI, extending her hitting streak to nine games.
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) had two RBIs in both games which included driving in the tying and go-ahead runs in the fifth inning of the second game.
The wins extended their winning streak to six, the Silverswords' longest since running off streaks of nine and seven, both coming in the 2013 season.
The 'Swords also improved to 10-4 overall, their best 14-game start in school history, while their 6-2 mark in the Pacific West Conference is also their best eight-game conference start.
The Hawks fell to 4-23 and 2-14 in the PacWest.
Game 1: CUH 7, HNU 0
Chaminade jumped all over HNU starter Haighley Kissee in the first inning when
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) hooked a two-run double into the left field corner. Two batters later, Obara brought home two more to put the home team up, 4-0.
In the second, the 'Swords added on when an error allowed Fujioka to scamper home. Later in the inning,
Kobe Brown (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) doubled to the fence in left center but Takemura was caught in a rundown between third and home. However the HNU catcher missed a swipe tag, allowing Takemura to score CUH's second run of the inning.
In the fourth, Fujioka led off with a triple – her second of the series – then came home on an RBI base knock from
Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis HS) for the 'Swords' seventh run.
Meanwhile Cabunoc was sharp in the circle, not allowing a base runner to advance past second base. She was also aided by double plays in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Fittingly, the game ended on the team's record fourth twin killing of the game, breaking the previous record of three set on Feb. 23, 2018 against British Columbia. Chaminade entered the afternoon ranked ninth in the NCAA at 0.60 double plays per game.
Cabunoc allowed just four hits and walked two to improve to 6-2 on the season and record her second complete-game shutout of the season. She also lowered her ERA to 1.87.
Fujioka and Brown each had two hits with Takemura and Obara each drove in two.
Kissee took the loss to fall to 1-7.
Game 2: CUH 9, HNU 5
It seemed that the law of averages finally caught up with Chaminade in the second inning with Holy Names putting up a five spot against
Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney). The inning featured two uncharacteristic errors by the 'Swords who entered Sunday the second-best fielding team in the PacWest. There was also a rare infield double by Hannah Haynie whose bunt stayed fair down the first base line, then took an extra base when the 'Swords failed to cover second.
But the Silverswords began their rally in the third on a two-out triple by Cabunoc, allowing Matsumura to scored their first run. Takemura then brought pinch runner
Larchelle Tuifao (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kapolei) in on a run-scoring double to make it 5-2.
The 'Swords got closer still in the fourth getting RBI hits from Fujioka and Matsumura to close to within 5-4.
After Genera worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, Chaminade completed its comeback in the bottom of the inning. Brown led off with a double followed by an infield hit from
Bailey Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress) who moved to second on a wild pitch. Obara then lined a single to center, allowing Brown to score the tying run and Jacobsen the go-ahead run. However the 'Swords weren't finished.
With the bases loaded, Tuifao – who had a pinch-hit homer on Saturday – crushed a Carly Hillenbrand pitch off the base of the fence in dead center, allowing all three runners to score to increase their lead to 9-5.
Genera worked out of another bases-loaded jam in the sixth with no damage then closed the Hawks out in the seventh to improve to 4-1 on the year, allowing five hits, four earned runs and four walks.
Jacobsen went 3-for-4 with a run while Fujioka, Matsumura and Brown each had two knocks.
During her current nine-game hitting streak, Fujioka has six straight multi-hit games and has a run in all six. After starting her collegiate career 1-for-9 (.111), she is hitting .516 (15-for-31) during the span and raised her batting average to a team-leading .425.
And not to be outdone, Takemura has a six-game hit streak while Brown is 6-for-9 with three runs in her last three games.
Kelsey Volkmar lasted four innings, allowing 10 hits and seven runs in taking the loss to fall to 1-9.
Chaminade will have the full week off then make its first mainland road trip in three years next week. The Silverswords, who open a Southern California swing, will be tested at Concordia University Irvine for a four-game series starting next Monday. The Eagles, ranked No. 2 in the NFCA Division II Poll, are 24-0 and 12-0 in the PacWest. First pitch of Monday's series opener is 12 p.m. Pacific time.
