HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team stepped back out of Pacific West Conference action Friday, hosting Baldwin Wallace at Silversword Field at Sand Island Park.
Despite playing extra innings in the series opener, the Silverswords were held to just three hits in their 4-3 loss in eight innings.
However, the 'Swords' bats woke out of their slumber in the nightcap, mashing 12 hits.
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) had both of their extra base hits including an inside-the-park homer in the second inning which broke open a two-score game.
Although her hit streak of seven straight at-bats came to end early in the first game,
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) managed to extend her game hitting streak to eight straight.
The split left Chaminade at 9-11 on the season while the Yellowjackets from Berea, Ohio, are 3-5.
Game 1: BW 4, CUH 3 (8 inn.)
Baldwin Wallace scored twice in the top of the third inning before Chaminade countered in its half of the third, putting the first four batters on. The 'Swords first score was via a throwing error on the BW third baseman, allowing
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae), who led off the inning with a bunt single, to score their first run.
Chasity McKean (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/College of Southern Nevada/Kapolei HS) gave the Silverswords a 3-2 lead when her infield single deflected off the glove of the Yellowjackets second baseman, allowing two runs to cross.
Baldwin Wallace was able to get a two-out single in the fifth to tie it at 3 then took the lead in eighth, thanks to a Sara Fredrickson run-scoring single. Meanwhile the 'Swords' bats went silent after the third inning. Yellowjackets hurler Marissa Hall at one point retired 11 straight batters until the bottom of the eighth with a one-out single from Takemura, just Chaminade's third hit of the game.
Hall went the distance for the Yellowjackets to improve to 3-1.
Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney) got the start and threw the first 3 2/3 innings for a no-decision.
Ashley Ogata (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) pitched the final 4 1/3 frames in taking the loss to fall to 2-3.
Although her school-record consecutive hits streak of seven at-bats ended with a fly out in the first inning, Takemura extended her game hit-streak to seven with the eighth-inning knock.
Game 2: CUH 8, BW 0 (5 inn.)
Fujioka led off the bottom of the first with her PacWest-leading fourth triple of the season, then came in on an RBI sacrifice fly from
Haley Hayakawa (Torrance, Calif./South). Takamura then extended her hit streak to eight straight by singling during the next at-bat. She later scored Chaminade's second run of the frame on a wild pitch.
Jaeda Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt) walked to open the second inning and, two batters later,
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City), who had been struggling at the plate, looped a base hit to center. That led to Fujioka, who ripped a liner past the first baseman and into the right field corner. Both Cabunoc and Obara came home while Fujioka motored around third with the throw home being well off-line for an inside-the-park home run making it 5-0, the sophomore's first career round-tripper.
Fittingly, the inside-the-parker was the first home run at Silversword Field with a cavernous outfield which has already produced a conference-leading 13 triples this season.
Kobe Brown (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) made it 6-0 on her RBI fielder's choice in the fourth. Chaminade then applied the mercy-rule in the fifth on Obara's second hit of the game, an RBI single which was her first driven in of the season. Hayakawa's single to left pushed Obara to third but the Yellowjackets' leftfielder misplayed the hop, allowing Obara to score the game-ender.
Fujioka, Takemura, McKean and Obara each had multiple hits. Takemura collected hits in all three of her at-bats and, combined her eight-inning single in Game 1, has hits in four straight at-bats. In her last four games, the junior catcher/third baseman is 11-of-14 at the plate with three runs scored and four driven in and raised her average to .411, the second-highest in the PacWest.
Almost overshadowed by the hitting, CUH freshman hurler
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) scattered five hits to earn her first career complete-game shutout and improved to 2-5.
Taryn Welter dropped to 0-2 after allowing five runs and six hits in two innings.
The Silverswords will wrap up their 22-game home stand on Wednesday when they open a four-game non-conference series against fellow Division II member Emporia State from Kansas. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
