LA MIRADA, Calif. – The late, great Chicago Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks' most famous quote is "Let's Play Two!"
On Friday, the Chaminade University and Biola University softball teams said, "Let's Play Three!"
With heavy rain expected to drench most of Southern California over the weekend, it prompted the teams to move up one of their Saturday games a day and combine it with the regularly scheduled doubleheader for a rare Pacific West Conference tripleheader.
The first two contests weren't kind to the 'Swords, who dropped them by finals of 4-1 and 3-1.
However, Chaminade managed to salvage the series with a 6-4 win in the finale. The fourth game will unlikely be played.
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) went 6-for-9 with two runs on the day while
Desiree Bravo (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College/Centennial HS) added four more knocks.
After going 32 years without a win in Southern California entering the road trip – a span of 48 straight defeats – the Silverswords picked up their second SoCal road win in the trip and their first victory at Biola's Freedom Field in 13 chances including two defeats in last month's Concordia Kickoff Classic.
The tripleheader was the first for Chaminade since the 2015 Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California, when they faced Cal Poly Humboldt, UC San Diego and San Francisco State.
The 'Swords are 11-12 overall and 7-6 in the PacWest while the Eagles are 10-18 and 5-10 in the conference.
Game 1: BU 4, CUH 1
The Eagles struck first with a pair of first-inning runs before the 'Swords got a run in the third on
Keaolani Takemura-Brehme's (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute) RBI single which brought in Fujioka to cut into the Biola lead at 2-1.
The Eagles tacked on insurance runs in the third and fourth frames while the Silverswords, who were retired in order just once in the contest, could not come up with the clutch hit. Although they stranded just five runners total, three were in scoring position.
Fujioka had three of Chaminade's seven hits in the opener including a double, her eighth of the year.
Ashley Ogata (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) took the loss.
Biola had eight hits while Kayla Bousquette got the win.
Game 2: BU 3, CUH 1
The 'Swords were forced to play catch up again after the Eagles plated a first-inning run on a RBI groundout by starting pitcher Raylene Roybal. She also helped herself again in the third with a two-run homer to center.
The Silverswords got their run in the sixth thanks to heads up base running. With the bases loaded and one out, pinch hitter
Haley Hayakawa (Torrance, Calif./South) popped out to second baseman Alex Medley, who tried to tag
Chasity McKean (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/College of Southern Nevada/Kapolei HS) who had wandered off first base. Meanwhile, Bravo at third tagged up and raced home, beating the throw as the catcher missed the tag at the plate. Hayakawa was credited with a rare infield sacrifice fly.
Although Chaminade mustered seven hits off Roybal, their bats again could not get the clutch hit when they needed with nine runners left on base. Five were in scoring position including being unable to capitalize Fujioka's lead-off triple in the seventh. The 'Swords also struck out 10 times against Roybal, six coming with runners on base.
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) threw her first complete game of the season but was saddled with the loss. Fujioka, Bravo and
Kobe Brown (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) each had two hits.
Roybal got the win for the Eagles.
Game 3: CUH 6, BU 4
Unlike the first two games, this time the 'Swords got the scoring going in the first on Bravo's RBI groundout.
The Eagles got two runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead, then in the second, Chaminade finally got the clutch hit when Takemura-Brehme got a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded to put the 'Swords ahead, 3-2.
Bravo doubled to left to lead off the third and came in to score with another two-out base knock, this time by
Bailey Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress), giving CUH a 4-2 edge.
The Eagles responded in the home half of the third, taking advantage of an error on Roybal's game-tying two-run single.
In the bottom of the sixth, Biola appeared to take a 7-4 lead on Medley's two-out, three-run triple down the left field line. But the call was reversed to a simple foul ball and, two pitches later,
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) got Medley to hit a harmless comebacker to preserve the 4-4 tie.
The 'Swords capitalized on the second chance in the top of the seventh. This time, they took advantage of an error when Bravo's fly ball to shallow center field was dropped to lead off the inning. After McKean doubled to the left-center gap which moved pinch runner
Vanessa Pena (Paramount, Calif./Paramount) to third, Jacobsen brought her in for the go-ahead sacrifice fly. McKean then got a big insurance run, coming in on a wild pitch, giving the Silverswords a 6-4 cushion.
Jaeda Kumaewa-Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt) moved from third base to the pitcher's circle in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order for second save of the year and a much-needed win for Chaminade.
The 'Swords had 11 hits in the finale but more importantly, five of their runs came on balls put into play (hit, ground out, sacrifice fly). Takemura-Brehme, McKean, Kumaewa-Cabunoc and
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae) each had two hits with Takemura-Brehme and Jacobsen each driving in two.
Lopez earned the win out of the bullpen to improve to 6-3.
Roybal was handed the loss for Biola.
The Silverswords will be at Azusa Pacific on Monday to begin their final four-game series on the mainland. First pitch of the twin bill is scheduled for 1 p.m. Hawai'i time.
