HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team on Saturday split their final doubleheader against Dominican University of California at Silversword Field at Sand Island Park.
The Silverswords won the first game, 1-0, thanks in part to a combined one-hitter by
Ashley Ogata (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) and
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial), and the late-inning heroics of
Desiree Bravo (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College/Centennial HS), who had the game's only run on an inside-the-park homer in the sixth inning.
Dominican, which had seven runs in the first three games of the series, made up for the lack of scoring with an 11-6 win in the nightcap.
Larchelle Tuifao (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kapolei) had base hits in both games, extending her hitting streak to 11, tied for the fourth longest in program history.
Despite the split, the 'Swords still won the series, taking three of four from the Penguins. Chaminade is 8-6 overall and 5-1 in the Pacific West Conference while Dominican ended its Hawai'i trip at 13-11 and 8-8 in the conference.
Game 1: CUH 1, DUC 0
Shelby Keltner, Dominican's ace hurler and third team all-conference selection last season, pitched well enough to earn a win, allowing just five hits while striking out six.
But Ogata and Lopez were a tad better. The former had three hitless innings before being relieved by the latter with two on and no out in the top of the fourth. The 'Swords defense made a huge play on the first batter Lopez faced. On the first pitch she saw from Lopez, Taylor Rodriguez hit a liner that seemed destined for centerfield and a possible run but
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae) got a good jump on the liner, making the snag and doubling off Taylor Eby at second base. The 'Swords ended the inning on the next at-bat.
Chaminade's defense also came through again in the fifth. Keltner blistered a long two-out single off the base of the fence in center, ending the combined no-hitter. But
Summer Buck (Honolulu/Kaiser) got the ball quickly back to the infield as Keltner was caught in a rundown between first and second, ultimately getting tagged out which ended the inning.
In the home half of the sixth and two outs, Bravo scalded a grounder past the first baseman just inside the bag, which rolled all the way into the right field corner. The junior leftfielder kept motoring around the bases, getting the green light at third and reaching home with the throw well off-line for the only run of the game.
Lopez retired the Penguins in order in the seventh to secure the win, improving her record to 4-2.
Keltner took the loss.
The win improved Chaminade to 5-0 in the conference for the first time in documented history. The 'Swords had started PacWest play 4-0 only two other times, 2012 and 2004.
Game 2: DUC 11, CUH 6
Dominican made up for being one-hit and shut out by getting six runs on six hits in the first inning. The Penguins added another run in the next frame before Chaminade responded with a three-run third courtesy of RBI hits from a Takemura-Brehme double, Tuifao's first triple of the year and a Bravo sacrifice fly.
But DUC got the runs back with three in the fourth to take an 11-3 lead.
A two-run triple from
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) followed by Takemura-Brehme's RBI single drew the 'Swords to 11-6 in the fourth. Chaminade had opportunities to get closer with the bases loaded in the fifth and seventh, runners at second and third in the sixth but could not plate runs each time.
Fujioka had four of Chaminade's 13 hits in the nightcap along with two driven in with Takemura-Brehme and
Isabel Rodriguez (Littleton, Colo./Columbine) both got two hits each.
Tuifao's triple extended her hitting streak to 11 games, tying her with Maureen Hutchinson and Brandi Sasaki for the fourth longest in program history.
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) suffered the loss to fall to 2-2. Ogata, Chaminade's fourth pitcher of the game, helped shut down the Penguins by allowing just two hits in the final four shutout innings.
Keltner got the win, improving to 6-6 while Rodriguez earned her third save, tossing the final three innings. Dominican had 16 hits in the final game of the series.
The Silverswords will take to the road for the next 14 games, starting Saturday with a non-conference doubleheader against in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University. First pitch at Howard Okita Field is at noon.
