KANEOHE, O'ahu, Hawai'i – In past years, the matchups between the Chaminade University and Hawai'i Pacific University softball teams have usually been for just island bragging rights.
However, when the two met Saturday at HPU's Howard Okita Field for the first time this season, there was much more on the line, especially with the new Pacific West Conference Tournament to take place in May and both teams in position to grab one of the four spots.
The Silverswords, however, were swept by their long-time rivals, 4-3 and 7-3, dropping them to 19-21 overall and 11-14 in the PacWest. And while the Sharks are a mere 19-27 overall, they are 14-12 in the conference to grab the No. 3 spot in the standings.
Chasity McKean (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/College of Southern Nevada/Kapolei HS) and
Larchelle Tuifao (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kapolei) each had three combined hits on the afternoon. Right-fielder and sometimes catcher
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae) demonstrated a gold glove afternoon with two outfield assists and stealing several potential HPU base hits.
Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) added two more RBIs on the day, tying the single-season school record of 35 set by Rayna Strom-Okimoto in 2013.
Despite the two defeats, the 'Swords are still well in contention for a spot, with just five games separating them from second-place Dominican (10-5 PacWest).
Game 1: HPU 4, CUH 3
After two scoreless innings, the Silverswords got a Takemura run-scoring sacrifice fly plating
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City). Two batters later,
Kobe Brown (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) brought Tuifao in, making it a 2-0 'Swords' lead.
But HPU responded with a two-run bottom of the third, knotting the game at 2.
Chaminade had several chances to plate the go-ahead run in subsequent innings but stranded a runner in scoring position in the fourth and the bases loaded in the fifth.
The Sharks took a 3-2 lead in theit half of the fifth but, like they have done for the better part of a month, the Silverswords rallied in top of the sixth when Takemura dropped an RBI single to shallow right-center, allowing
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) to scamper home for a 3-all tie.
CUH again put the go-ahead run in scoring position in the seventh but couldn't get the run in. And in the bottom of the seventh, Chaminade got two quick outs including a highlight real throw from Gates-Coyaso who stole a leadoff hit from Savanna Sayler-Kovac with a laser-beam toss from right field to first base.
However, the Sharks coaxed a pair of two-out walks and got the winner when Noel Saunders' lofted a sand-iron-type drop shot in front of a diving
Isabel Rodriguez (Littleton, Colo./Columbine). It was Chaminade's third walk-off loss to HPU since 2019.
The 'Swords were also the recipient – depending on whose perspective one looks at – of either bad luck or great Sharks defense. Fujioka was robbed of extra bases with a runner on board in the sixth on a running catch at the base of the fence in centerfield 220 feet away. Rodriguez was also denied the go-ahead run in the seventh when her sinking liner to left was caught on a diving catch.
Tuifao and McKean each had two hits while Takemura's two RBI increased her PacWest lead.
Ashley Ogata (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) went the first four innings in the circle with
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) tossing the final 2 2/3 frames before taking the loss to fall to 6-10.
Hailey Yoshida got the win to improve to 5-3.
Game 2: HPU 7, CUH 3
The Sharks opened the bottom of the first with four straight hits and a 2-0 advantage, prompting Benson to be summoned from the bullpen and escaping the frame with no more damage.
That allowed the 'Swords to put up a crooked number in the second. After McKean led off with a booming double to the left-center fence,
Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) lofted a bases-loaded fly ball to center. However, the subsequent throw to the plate squibbed past the catcher, allowing McKean to score CUH's first run and the trail runners to move up a base.
That brought up Fujioka who promptly smacked a double that clanked off the right-field fence, bringing in Gates-Coyaso and Rodriguez to put Chaminade ahead 3-2.
Then in the fourth, HPU played the small-ball game, scoring five times – with six straight two-out singles – to take a 7-3 edge.
The 'Swords had an opportunity to get back in the game in a big way, loading the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth. But they couldn't get the big hit, coming away with three straight empty trips to the plate to finish the inning and, in essence, ending their chances for a comeback.
Chaminade was held to just four hits in the nightcap. Defensively, Gates-Coyaso had another solid defensive outing with an outfield assist – a second-inning frozen rope to throw out Tiari Hernandez at third trying to advance after a lineout – while making several robbery grabs with running catches towards the gaps and diving putouts. Benson suffered her second loss of the day, falling to 6-11 with 3 2/3 innings in relief. In all, Chaminade used four pitchers in the second game with
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) tossing the final two innings without allowing a run.
The old saying "Death by a Thousand Cuts" was certainly an appropriate theme of Game 2. HPU had 13 hits – all singles – with Noel Saunders and Kanoe Tanigawa getting three each with the Sharks' top of the order from the lead-off to clean-up batters going a combined 10-for-16 with five runs and all seven driven in, four by Tanigawa.
The Silverswords will look to get back on track when they return to the comfortable confines of Silversword Field next Saturday when they host the University of Hawai'i Hilo, their first home game since March 16. First pitch of the twin bill is scheduled for 12 p.m.
