CARSON, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team ended their season-opening mainland road trip Monday with a doubleheader loss to Cal State Dominguez Hills, the 15th-ranked team in Division II, at Toro Diamond.
The Silverswords were walked off in the first game, 4-3, then dropped the second, 10-4.
Although the 'Swords finished their southern California trip with a 1-6 mark, they were highly competitive including against the other two nationally-ranked foes they faced (Cal State San Marcos, Northwest Nazarene). Their opponents' combined record after Monday's games were 26-7.
Game 1: CSUDH 4, CUH 3
The Toros (5-2) plated the game's first two runs in the third and fifth innings.
After seven straight 'Swords were retired, Fujioka ended it with a base knock in the sixth.
Vanessa Pena (Paramount, Calif./Paramount) and
Larchelle Tuifao (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kapolei) followed with singles to load the bases and the next three at-bats netting runs.
Miranda Diaz (Whittier, Calif./Cerritos College/California HS) had a RBI single,
Desiree Bravo (Corona, Calif./Mt. San Antonio College/Centennial HS) reached on an error, allowing Peña to score the tying run.
Isabel Rodriguez (Littleton, Colo./Columbine) then drew a bases-loaded walk to give Chaminade a 3-2 lead.
However, CSUDH rallied in the seventh, tying it on a one-out double. With still one out and the bases loaded, a Torie Au comebacker to
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) resulted in a force-out at home for the second out. Tuifao then attempted to get Au at first for the inning-ending double play but the throw was late. Pinch runner Mia Ayala, who moved to third on the play, bolted for home to score the winning run.
After being held to just two hits in the first five frames, the Silverswords managed six total with Peña getting her first career multi-hit game.
Lopez was tagged with the loss while starter
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) got a no-decision after five innings.
Ashley Ogata, who wore a 'Swords uniform in 2023 and '24, tossed the final 1 2/3 innings to get the win against her former teammates.
Game 2: CSUDH 10, CUH 4
A 'Swords error led to the game's first run in the first inning. That was followed later in the frame by a baited steal attempt with runners in the corner, resulting in the runner thrown out at second on the try but the runner at third coming in for the second run.
Chaminade got on the board in the third when Tuifao bounced a hopper through the left side to bring in Frost, her team-leading seventh RBI of the young season. In the fourth,
SoSo Hayes (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) tied it at 2 with her first career RBI.
However, the Silverswords committed three errors in the Toros' half of the fourth, resulting in four runs, two of which were unearned. Dominguez Hills tacked on two more in the fifth to widen its lead.
Back-to-back doubles by
Gabriella Schneider (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Alta Loma) and Hayes to lead off the sixth would get Chaminade's third run followed by Peña's RBI ground out. However, the Toros scored twice in the bottom of the frame to widen the gap and end the scoring.
Hayes had two hits and two RBI for Chaminade while
Ava Walker (Las Vegas/Faith Lutheran) tossed five innings to take the loss, although four of the runs she allowed were unearned. Their usual stout defense struggled with seven errors, the most since March 2018 when they also had seven against Utah Tech.
Lillianna Garcia earned the win while Ogata got the starting nod for Dominguez Hills and got a no-decision after allowing two runs in three innings. Kaylee Hull drove in four including a two-run homer.
The Silverswords will make their home debut at Silversword Field on Thursday when they host Hillsdale College at 1 p.m. followed by the University of Nebraska-Kearney at 3 p.m.
