HONOLULU – The last time the Chaminade University softball played at home was on March 9.
Since then, the Silverswords played 13 road games and earning four wins, three of them coming in Southern California, arguably the most difficult region in the Pacific West Conference.
On Saturday, the 'Swords made their return to Silversword Field at Sand Island Park for the first time in 28 days to start their final 10-game home stand.
Needless to say, it was a joyous homecoming.
The 'Swords opened a four-game series against visiting Academy of Art, getting a twin bill sweep, 7-4 and 6-5, the latter coming in extra-inning, walk-off fashion. Chaminade totaled 22 hits on the afternoon while
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) had both winning decisions coming out of the pen.
The Silverswords, who are chasing one of the four bids in next month's PacWest Tournament in San Rafael, California, improved to 14-15 overall and 10-9 in the conference. ART U fell to 8-30 and 4-20.
Game 1: CUH 7, ART U 4
The Urban Knights, playing at Silversword Field for the first time ever, took advantage of the spacious outfield on Haley Randall's first-inning RBI triple in the top of the first inning.
Academy of Art, which has struggled much of the season, made it 4-0 with a three-run third, putting the 'Swords in some trouble. But the deficit seemed to activate a switch in them.
Leading off the bottom of the third,
Kailah Gates-Coyaso (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Waianae) ripped her first career triple into the left-field corner then scored when the ART U left fielder dropped
Taryn Fujioka's (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) fly ball. The speedy junior then stole second and took off for third, scoring on a sacrifice fly from
Keaolani Takemura-Brehme (Pearl City, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute), chopping ART U's lead to 4-2.
Then in the fifth,
Bailey Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress) drove in a run when she was plunked with the bases loaded.
Summer Buck (Honolulu/Kaiser) ripped a two-run double into the right-center gap, giving Chaminade its first lead at 5-4. Gates-Coyaso made it 6-4 on a sac fly.
The 'Swords tacked on their seventh run in the sixth on
Desiree Bravo's (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College/Centennial HS) sacrifice fly.
Gates-Coyaso's defense was also on display, grabbing a bouncing ball headed up the middle, stepping on second and firing a dart to
Kobe Brown (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) to complete the game-ending double play.
Lopez got the win, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief to put up the win while Brown and Jacobsen each had two hits.
Alyssa Fulmer was tagged with the loss.
Game 2: CUH 6, ART U 5 (10 inn.)
CUH's momentum seemed to carry over in the nightcap on Brown's first-inning RBI single followed by Takemura-Brehme's heads up base running, tagging from third when Urban Knight's first baseman Katie Humphreys made a spectacular diving catch in foul territory. As Humphreys was trying to get to her feet, the senior scampered home for Chaminade's second run.
ART U got a run in the second but the 'Swords added two more in their half of the inning on RBI base knocks from Fujioka, a single, and Takemura-Brehme on a triple.
After the Urban Knights made it 4-2 in the third, Takemura-Brehme doubled in a run in the fifth. CUH also had another highlight reel twin killing to end the ART U sixth when Fujioka made a short toss to Gates-Coyaso who caught the ball with her throwing hand and in a single motion fired a dart to Brown. That helped maintain a 5-2 'Swords' lead heading into the top of the seventh.
But the feisty ART U squad came up with clutch hits in the frame and scored three runs to send the game into extra innings.
Neither team was able to push across a run over the next two innings, which headed to the 10th where the international tiebreaker rule (runner placed at second to begin the inning) was in effect. The Urban Knights were able to get the ghost runner to third but a web gem moment got the 'Swords into the dugout with no harm done when Elle Edeker ripped a two-out liner off the top of Lopez's glove and into the air where Fujioka caught the ricochet.
In Chaminade's half of the 10th and pinch-runner
Chasity McKean (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/College of Southern Nevada/Kapolei HS) placed at second,
Isabel Rodriguez (Littleton, Colo./Columbine) bunted to move McKean to third. Edeker picked up the ball, checked to first base then to third and again at first but the ball slipped out of her hands and dribbled towards the vacated second base spot. That allowed McKean to round third and score the walk-off winner.
Like she did in the matinee game, Lopez picked up the win in relief, tossing 3 1/3 hitless and scoreless innings, to improve to 8-3. Fujioka, who was celebrating her 21st birthday, went 4-for-5 at the plate, raising her average to a conference-leading .444, as the 'Swords amassed 13 hits. Takemura-Brehme and Brown also had multi-hits in the nightcap.
Kayla Vaughn, who went the distance and threw 145 pitches, was charged with the loss.
The Silveswords and Urban Knights wrap up their four-game series Sunday at Silversword Field with first pitch set for 12 p.m.
