LA MIRADA, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team finally got its offense going.
However it wasn't nearly enough to prevent Biola University from its second straight doubleheader sweep. The Silverswords were blanked in the first game, 8-0 in six innings, before finally pushing runs across in the nightcap but still fell short to the defending West Region champions, 5-3.
Freshman
Bailey Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress) had three hits on the afternoon including triples in both games while
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) had two knocks nightcap and drove in the team's first run since Monday which finally snapped their scoreless drought.
Chaminade lost its eighth straight on their current road trip, falling under .500 for the first time this season to 10-12 overall and 8-10 in the Pacific West Conference. Biola, which was one win away from winning the 2021 Division II national championship, is 17-12 and 12-8 in the conference.
Game 1: BU 8, CUH 0 (6)
The Silverswords demonstrated they could put runners on board against Biola ace Paige Austin, getting the leadoff batter on in the first, second and third innings.
Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis) was drilled by Austin to lead off the game then moved to second on a
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) sacrifice bunt. In the second inning, Jacobsen hit a hard bouncer which skipped over the glove of second baseman Hailey Paull and rolled all the way into the right-center gap for a triple. Then in the fourth, Takemura drew a lead-off walk. Chaminade also had a one-out single from Takemura in the seventh then advanced to second on a fouled pop-up.
Unfortunately for the 'Swords in all four instances, the runners were left stranded in scoring position, thanks in large part to Austin's strikeout prowess. Six of her seven Ks came with runners in scoring position.
The Eagles soared early against starter
Jaeda Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt), scoring five runs in the first two innings. She settled down over the next three frames but Biola pushed three runs across in the sixth to win via the eight-run rule.
Cabunoc went 5 2/3 innings allowing seven earned runs with a strikeout to fall to 6-6.
Austin, who has had a knack of shutting down Chaminade bats in her career, went the distance, allowing just two hits although she hit three batters to improve to 10-3. Sicili Brittingham drove in two runs including a solo homer in the first.
Game 2: BU 5, CUH 3
Jacobsen was moved to the top of the lineup card in the finale and the move paid immediate dividends. The freshman reached on an error and, after being bunted over by Obara, Takemura doubled over the head of Eagles left fielder Allie Beck, allowing Jacobsen to score easily, giving Chaminade its first lead on the road trip. The run also snapped their 43 straight innings without a run.
But the Eagles answered right back with two runs off starter
Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney) to take a 2-1 lead. Genera, who is from La Mirada's neighboring town of Norwalk but was pulled from her start on Friday because of an injury, retired the next six batters.
Charlize De Jesus (Colonia, N.J./Colonia) relieved Genera in the fourth but allowed a two-run homer before Cabunoc was summoned and ended the inning on a comebacker.
After their first inning run, the 'Swords' bats again fell silent off starter Raylene Roybal, with the exception of a Jacobsen infield single in the third. But in the fifth, the sticks finally got hot.
Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Campbell) had a two-out, pinch-hit single up the middle. Jacobsen then launched a triple to the left-center gap which brought home
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae). That was followed by Obara's short pop up which dropped midway through home plate and first base for an infield hit to allow Jacobsen to scamper home, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Roybal then walked Takemura, forcing BU first year head coach Kristin Halte to summon Austin from the pen. After walking
Kobe Brown (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) to load the bases, Austin worked a pop-up to quell the threat.
After Biola added an insurance run in its half of the fifth, Chaminade managed to get two-out singles off Austin from
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) in the sixth and Takemura in the seventh. But the fifth-year senior was able to shut the door in both innings.
Genera went three frames, allowing two runs while fanning two in taking the loss to fall to 4-4. Cabunoc went the final 2 1/3, allowing a run on two hits.
Jacobsen and Takemura were both 2-for-3 and got on base three times each in the series finale. Jacobsen's fifth inning triple was Chaminade's eighth of the year (prior to March 7, the 'Swords had just one three-bagger in their previous 123 games dating back to 2018).
Bridgette Trujillo drove in three for Biola. Roybal went 4 2/3 innings to improve to 6-6. Austin got a seven-out save, her first of the year, and struck out four.
With Saturday being the final meeting between the Chaminade and Biola in 2022, the Silverswords will certainly be happy to never face Austin again. In her nine career appearances against CUH since 2018, Austin is 6-0 with three saves and a microscopic ERA of 0.35. In 39 2/3 innings against the 'Swords, she allowed just three runs (two earned) on 18 hits and fanned 52, although she has walked 11 and hit 10.
The Silverswords will face their final PacWest opponent of the road trip Monday against Azusa Pacific. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. Pacific (1 p.m. Hawai'i).
