IRVINE, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team came up on the short end of both their Day 2 contests at the Concordia Kickoff Classic at Orange County Great Park.
Senior catcher
Larchelle Tuifao (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kapolei) had four hits and drove in six on the afternoon including five in the Silverswords' first game of the day in their 6-5 loss to Northwest Nazarene, ranked 18th in the NFCA Coaches Poll, and the first meeting between the two programs since 2014.
Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City) also had four knocks during the second day of the tournament.
Tuifao drove in another while
Summer Buck (Honolulu/Kaiser) added two RBI in their second game of the day, an 8-4 defeat to Cal State Monterey Bay.
Chaminade is 1-3 to start the season.
Game 1: #18 NNU 6, CUH 5
Tuifao didn't waste any time putting the 'Swords on the board, crushing a two-run homer in the top of the first, the nine round-tripper of her career.
The Nighthawks countered in the second with a pair of runs to knot the score but Tuifao's sacrifice fly in the fourth put the 'Swords ahead. A four-run fourth put NNU ahead, 6-3, but Tuifao again came up clutch with a two-run single in the sixth, her fifth RBI of the game which is one shy of the school record, to narrow the deficit to 6-5. However, CUH could not get the tying run on board in the seventh.
Tuifao had hits in all three of her plate appearances while
Desiree Bravo (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College/Centennial HS) had three hits and Fujioka had two for Chaminade.
Vanessa Pena (Paramount, Calif./Paramount) took the loss for the 'Swords.
Game 2: CSUMB 8, CUH 4
In the first encounter between the teams since 2017, the 'Swords spotted the Otters a 1-0 lead in the first. But guess who (Tuifao) did it again with a third-inning RBI double to center field. Two batters later, Buck drove in two more on her first career triple, putting Chaminade up, 3-1.
But the lead didn't last long as Monterey Bay posted a four-run fourth to retake the lead. The 'Swords got a run back in the fifth on an RBI single from
Miranda Diaz (Whittier, Calif./Cerritos College/California HS) before CSUMB put up three more in the sixth.
In the seventh, CUH had the tying run on deck but a double play ended the game.
Chaminade had nine hits against the Otters with Diaz getting three while Fujioka had two more.
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) was tagged with the loss.
Savannah Madrigal earned the complete-game win for Monterey Bay.
The Silverswords will wrap up the Kickoff Classic on Sunday against Chico State. First pitch is at 9 a.m. Hawai'i time.
