COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Chaminade University softball team concluded their 15-day, 16-game road jaunt through Southern California on Saturday with their series finale at Vanguard University at VU Softball Field.
The Silverswords dropped both games, 10-0 in five innings and 7-6, falling to 7-28 and 6-20 in the Pacific West Conference, although they took three games in the always daunting SoCal road trip. The Lions, who took three of four to win the series, improved to 18-23 and 12-12 in the conference.
Game 1: VU 10, CUH 0 (5 inn.)
In stark contrast to Friday's doubleheader where the Silverswords struck first in the first innings, it was the Lions who plated runs in the opening frame. Vanguard scored twice on Kayla Rodriguez's fielder's choice and a subsequent CUH error, although the 'Swords were able to get two outs on the play thanks to a rundown.
Falling behind 5-0 in the second, Chaminade committed four errors in the fourth which led to five Vanguard more runs, four being unearned, to put the run-rule in effect in the fifth where the Lions closed it out.
Carisma Ta'amai (Oroville, Calif./Pleasant Valley) had two of Chaminade's three hits while
Summer Buck (Honolulu/Kaiser) had the other, extending her hitting streak to five, with
Ava Walker (Las Vegas/Faith Lutheran) taking the loss. The 'Swords also committed a season-high seven errors.
VU totaled eight hits while Mari Ipatzi got the win.
Game 2: VU 7, CUH 6
For the third time in the series, Chaminade got the game's first runs in the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead on Diaz's RBI single and
Isabel Rodriguez's (Littleton, Colo./Columbine) bases-loaded walk.
Buck's second-inning sacrifice fly made it 3-1 but an error in the bottom of the inning led the way to three runs which gave Vanguard the 4-3 lead.
In the third, Diaz got her second hit in as many at-bats with a single, bringing up Rodriguez. The senior outfielder laced a drive down the left field line where Bella Bastien came up empty on her diving attempt. That allowed not only Diaz to score but Rodriguez raced around the bags for an inside-the-park home run to give the 'Swords a 5-4 lead, her second career home run and first since March 25, 2023 when she left the yard at Holy Names.
However, the Lions scored twice in the fifth to reclaim the lead then added another in the sixth for a 7-5 advantage.
In the seventh, CUH put two runners on then
SoSo Hayes (Diamond Bar, Calif./Diamond Bar) blooped a single that dropped in shallow left field, driving in
Alena Frost (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Castle), her first RBI of the season, to slice the deficit to a single run. The 'Swords had the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second but couldn't bring them in.
Rodriguez had a career-high three RBI while Diaz had her first-ever three-hit contest.
Gabriella Schneider (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Alta Loma) added two more hits for Chaminade, which had nine base hits total.
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial), the 'Swords' second of four pitchers used in the nightcap, was charged with the loss while the team scattered seven hits.
Mia Iacomini got the win with Kamryn Walker getting three RBI.
The Silverswords will take the next 12 days off to recover from the long trip and return to action on Friday, April 10 against Menlo College, where they will close the season with eight straight games at their home diamond of Silversword Field at Sand Island Park. First pitch is at noon.
