HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team opened their four-game Pacific West Conference series on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Dominican University of California at Silversword Field at Sand Island Park.
The Silverswords dropped both games, 3-0 in eight innings in the opener then 7-5 in the nightcap. In both contests, the 'Swords got solid pitching but the defense faltered late in practically handing victories to the Penguins.
Chaminade fell to 4-15 and 3-7 in the PacWest while Dominican is 13-13 and 8-6.
The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Wednesday but was moved up a day with an approaching storm front that was projected to impact O'ahu that day.
Game 1: DUC 3, CUH 0 (8 inn.)
The first game of the series was a fantastic pitchers' duel between
Ava Walker (Las Vegas/Faith Lutheran) and Alexis Verdugo, both posting zeros on the scoreboard in the first seven innings as the game went into extra innings.
In the eighth, the Penguins loaded the bases but the 'Swords got two outs. However it just took one pitch for the game to be decided. Morgan Heggstrom hit a blooper to right field to bring in two runs but a throwing error at the plate allowed a third run to score.
The Silverswords were not able to have a response in their half of the frame.
Walker scattered seven hits and struck out three in taking the loss with
Mimi Smith (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) getting two of Chaminade's six hits. Verdugo got the win.
Game 2: DUC 7, CUH 5
After being blanked in the opener, the Silverswords didn't take long to get their first runs of the day, a two-run single in the first by
Sunni Kahanu (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/University of Hawai'i/Mililani HS).
After DUC got a run in the third,
Mikala Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress College/Cypress HS) made it 3-1, coming home when the catcher sailed a throw into left field.
A fourth-inning RBI single by
Alena Frost (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Castle) made it 4-1 then an RBI base hit from
Isabel Rodriguez (Littleton, Colo./Columbine) gave the 'Swords a 5-2 edge.
In the top of the sixth, Dominican got a run-producing sacrifice fly then a two-out error allowed another to come in, cutting the lead to 5-4 with two runners on board. The error proved costly when Taylor Rodriguez's sinking flyball got past the defense, allowing the speedy outfielder to motor around the bases for the go-ahead inside-the-park home run, putting the Penguins ahead, 7-5.
Frost led off the bottom of the frame with a single followed by
Summer Buck's (Honolulu/Kaiser) double putting the tying run in scoring position. However, the 'Swords weren't able to plate a run.
They also managed to get the tying run at the plate in the seventh but also couldn't get the run across to suffer the disappointing loss.
Starter
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) went 5 1/3 frames, scattering seven hits in suffering the hard-luck defeat. Five Silverswords –
Mikala Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress College/Cypress HS),
Gabriella Schneider (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Alta Loma), Buck, Kahanu and Frost – each had two hits.
Mia Souza picked up the win in relief while Rodriguez not only got the go-ahead hit but picked up her first save of the year.
The Silverswords and Penguins are scheduled to finish the series on Thursday, weather pending.
