HONOLULU – With the home stretch of the season fast approaching, the Chaminade University softball team's final two series are appropriately against their two in-state rivals.
First up for the Silverswords, a Saturday date with in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University at Silversword Field at Sand Island Park.
The two teams split their first twin bill at HPU's field at Sand Island Park back on Feb. 28, so fittingly, the 'Swords and Sharks also split the doubleheader rematch.
HPU got timely hitting while holding the Chaminade bats in check in their 6-2 matinee win.
The Silverswords responded in kind with a season-high 17 hits in the nightcap, defeating the Sharks, 10-2 in six innings, to salvage the season split.
Chaminade is 9-32 overall and 8-24 in the Pacific West Conference while HPU is 7-33 and 4-27. Both squads picked up two points in this season's PacWest Hawai'i Challenge.
Game 1: HPU 6, CUH 2
The Sharks plated the game's first six runs, five of them coming with two outs. Chaminade got the leadoff batter on board in the three of the first six innings but could not bring them in.
The 'Swords finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh on
Sunni Kahanu's (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/University of Hawai'i/Mililani HS) hustling triple which plated
Isabel Rodriguez (Littleton, Colo./Columbine).
Alena Frost (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Castle) followed with an RBI double but that would be all for the home team.
Rodriguez had two of Chaminade's nine hits in Saturday's opener while all but one starter in the lineup card had at least one hit.
Ava Walker (Las Vegas/Faith Lutheran) went four innings in taking the loss. Walker and
Kamryn Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces Memorial) did manage to strand 13 Sharks on base.
Lily Pardini went all nine for HPU to earn the win.
Game 2: CUH 10, HPU 3 (6 inn.)
It appeared it would be more of the same in the series finale when Hawai'i Pacific scored twice in the top of the first inning.
This time, the Silverswords had an answer. With momentum seemingly carrying over from the end of the first game, leadoff hitter
Mikala Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress College/Cypress HS) and No. 3 batter
Summer Buck (Honolulu/Kaiser) singled. Kahunu's liner into left got Chaminade on the scoreboard. That was followed by a monstrous blast to straight away center by
Carisma Ta'amai (Oroville, Calif./Pleasant Valley), her three-run homer – her team-leading fourth of the year – gave the 'Swords a 4-2 lead.
Ta'amai wasn't done with an RBI double in the third. Later in the inning,
Miranda Diaz (Whittier, Calif./Cerritos College/California HS) drove in two then came home herself on a wild pitch. The four-run fourth put CUH up 8-2.
Kahanu's second RBI of the game made it 9-2 in the fourth then in the sixth, Chaminade loaded the bases with one out and the game-ending run at third. With HPU employing a five-person infield with two outfielders, Diaz hit a deep fly ball into center for the walk-off hit to end the game via mercy-rule.
Meanwhile, starter
Bailey Benson (Cheney, Wash./Gonzaga Preparatory) went the distance for the Silverswords, her first complete-game effort of the season. The senior southpaw scattered seven hits with one of the two runs being earned to pick up the win and improve to 4-8.
Kahanu had a season-high four hits while Ta'amai had four RBI. Diaz tied her career-high with three hits, which also came against HPU in Feb. 2025. In nine career games against the Sharks, Diaz has a .379 average (11-of-29) and nine RBI.
Also getting in on the 17-hit parade was Jacobsen (3-for-4), Buck (2-for-4, two runs),
Mimi Smith (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union) and a pinch-hit fifth-inning single from
Elora Tonaki (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Technology Academy).
Trinity Williams took the loss for HPU.
The Silverswords will wrap up the 2026 season Friday against the University of Hawai'i Hilo at Silversword Field for Aloha Senior Day starting at noon. Six seniors will be honored including Benson, Diaz, Jacobsen, Lopez, Rodriguez, and Tonaki.
