COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team began their final four-game Southern California road series on Friday, splitting the opening doubleheader at Vanguard University with a 5-4 win and a 6-3 loss at the VU Softball Field.
The Silverswords scored early and often in the matinee then held on in the seventh inning for series opening victory. The Lions roared back in the nightcap to split the first twin bill between the two squads.
Mikala Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress College/Cypress HS) was 5-for-8 with two runs.
Summer Buck (Honolulu/Kaiser),
Miranda Diaz (Whittier, Calif./Cerritos College/California HS) and
Gabriella Schneider (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Alta Loma) had a base hit each in both games. Buck and Diaz both saw their hitting streaks extend to four games.
Chaminade is 7-26 and 6-18 in the Pacific West Conference while Vanguard is 16-23 and 10-12 in the conference.
Game 1: CUH 5, VU 4
The carryover from the finale of Wednesday's series at Biola where the 'Swords scored three times on four hits against Eagles' ace Kayla Bousquette in the seventh inning was evident from the start on Friday.
Chaminade got Jacobsen and
Carisma Ta'amai (Oroville, Calif./Pleasant Valley) on in the top of the first inning then Diaz drilled a double down the left field line to plate both runners.
Jacobsen's RBI triple in the second followed by Ta'amai's RBI single and Diaz's sacrifice fly, both in the third, made it a 5-0 CUH lead.
Meanwhile
Ava Walker (Las Vegas/Faith Lutheran) was in an early groove, allowing just two runners – a hit batter and walk – through the first four innings. Vanguard ended the sophomore's bid for a no-hitter with a one-out infield single in the fifth then finished Walker's chance for a shutout with a run later in the frame.
The Lions made more noise in the sixth, putting the first three runners on before
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) was summoned from the bullpen. The Lions managed to plate two runs and load the bases with two outs but Benson got Lily Roth to hit a soft liner to first to quell the threat.
In the bottom of the seventh and a runner on, Andrea Connor doubled to center to drive in a run to cut the deficit to 5-4 but was thrown out trying to stretch the double to a triple, eliminating the tying run on base. Benson then induced a game-ending pop-up to allow the Silverswords to survive the series opener.
Diaz drove in three while Jacobsen went 3-for-4 at the top of the order. Walker got her second win of the season while Benson picked up her second save.
Mari Ipatzi got the loss.
Game 2: VU 6, CUH 3
Like they did in the first game, Chaminade struck in the first, although the Lions gave them help, getting two runs when a pickoff attempt by the catcher to get Jacobsen at third base sailed into the left field corner. That not only allowed Jacobsen to come in but also
Sunni Kahanu (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/University of Hawai'i/Mililani HS), who had stolen second on the errant throw.
The Lions managed to get a run in the second where it remained a 2-1 CUH lead until the fourth when two errors led to Vanguard's four-run frame.
Elora Tonaki (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Technology Academy), who came in as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the fourth, led off the fifth with her first career extra base hit, a double to right center. Kahanu later brought the senior in on a sacrifice fly, cutting the Lions' lead to 5-3.
Vanguard got an insurance run in the sixth then retired three of the four Chaminade batters in the seventh to gain the twin bill split.
Jacobsen, Kahanu and Tonaki each had two base knocks in the nightcap.
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) went the first three innings with three of the five runs she allowed were unearned as she took the loss. Younger sister
Kayden Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) went the final three, allowing just two hits and an unearned run.
Lauren Cantwell got the win for VU while Mia Iacomini got her first save of the season.
The Silverswords will conclude their two-week, 16-game road trip Saturday with the series finale. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. Hawai'i time.
