Posted with permission, article and pictures, from Chaminade University
HONOLULU – The Chaminade University softball team put a cap to the home portion of 2022 Sunday, dropping 10-6 and 9-4 decisions to Hawai’i Pacific University at Maryknoll High School’s Sand Island Field.
Despite surrendering big innings in both games, the Silverswords show plenty of fight by rallying to make things interesting.
Chaminade combined for 17 hits on the afternoon, led by senior Malia Ka`akimaka-Moisa (Ewa Beach, O’ahu, Hawai’i/Campbell) who totaled four hits in her final home appearances, extending her hitting streak to six games. Fellow senior Hailey Matsumura (Honolulu/Saint Francis HS) had a hit and scored a run in the nightcap, the final home game of her career. Freshman Bailey Jacobsen (Buena Park, Calif./Cypress) drove in four runs in the doubleheader.
The ‘Swords fell to 15-24 on the season and 11-19 in the Pacific West Conference. HPU improved to 22-26 and 15-15.
Game 1: HPU 10, CUH 6
The Sharks did all of their damage in just two innings, putting up a six spot in the second and four in the fourth. However, in both cases, the ‘Swords battled back.
After giving up the six runs, starter Jaeda Cabunoc (Kaneohe, O’ahu, Hawai’i/Roosevelt) helped her own cause with an RBI single to put Chaminade on the board.
Then in the bottom of the third, Taryn Fujioka (Aiea, O’ahu, Hawai’i/Pearl City) started a motorcade with a two-out double down the right field line. Keaolani Takemura (Pearl City, O’ahu, Hawai’i/Mid-Pacific Institute) followed suite, ripping an RBI double to dead center that came five feet short of leaving the park. After a Ka’akimaka-Moisa single, Chaminade got its fourth straight hit of the inning when Kobe Brown (Mililani, O’ahu, Hawai’i/Mililani) hit the team’s third two-bagger of the inning, bringing Takemura in, cutting HPU’s lead to 6-3.
But the Sharks bit back in the fourth to take a 10-3 advantage but the ‘Swords countered in the bottom of the fifth. HPU hurler Taylor Thompson issued consecutive bases-loaded walks to Brown and pinch hitter Jacobsen for force in two runs. An error by HPU shortstop Kanoe Tanigawa allowed a third run to come in and suddenly, the ‘Swords were back within four runs at 10-6 with one out. However, CUH hit into back-to-back force outs which stalled the rally.
Malia Torres then came in the sixth and retired the final six Chaminade batters, helping HPU survive the first game.
Ka’akimaka-Moisa went 3-for-4 at the plate, her second career three-hit game with Brown driving in a pair. Cabunoc took the loss to fall to 9-13.
Neva Poulin and Tiare Hernandez each had three hits while Thompson lasted five innings to improve to 11-14.
Game 2: HPU 9, CUH 4
After HPU tacked on two runs off starter Taylor Genera (Norwalk, Calif./Whitney) in the top of the first, Chaminade tied it half of the frame, thanks to Jacobsen who dropped a two-run opposite field double to left, scoring Fujioka and Takemura.
After HPU got a run in the third, the Sharks posting a four-spot in the fourth to take a 7-2 lead. However, Chaminade wasn’t done, getting a Cheyne Obara (Pearl City, O’ahu, Hawai’i/Pearl City) RBI single which brought in Matsumura in the fourth, followed by Jacobsen’s third RBI of the game which allowed Ka’akimaka-Moisa to score, closing the ‘Swords to within 7-4.
However, the Sharks got two insurance runs in the sixth to compete the season sweep of the Silverswords.
Genera took the loss to fall to 6-9 while throwing 132 pitches, her career high in a regulation game. Jacobsen’s two hits pushed her average to .328 which leads the team.
Torres got the win to improve to 11-12 although she surrendered nine hits, the most she has allowed since March 30 at Concordia Irvine. Poliahu Aina was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, going a combined 6-for-7 on the day. She and Tanigawa each drove in three runs.
Meanwhile Chaminade’s fourth inning woes continued in the twin bill, allowing eight combined runs. The ‘Swords have been outscored 36-7 this season in the fourth.
The ‘Swords honored Ka’akimaka-Moisa and Matsumura after the game as well as junior Yolanda Racaza (San Pedro, Calif./Port of Los Angeles) who will concentrate on student-teaching next spring. Racaza got her second career start at second base in Game 2 and had three putouts and two assists.
Chaminade also played what may be its final game at Maryknoll’s field which has been a temporary part-time home for the last two seasons after departing its previous full-time home at Patsy T. Mink Central O’ahu Regional Park when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020. The ‘Swords finished with a 7-7 record there over the past two seasons and 7-12 overall with occasional emergency usage since 2015. The program is expected to move into its new home just a few hundred feet down the road — Silversword Field at Sand Island Park — in 2023.
The Silverswords will end the 2022 season Saturday with a doubleheader against the University of Hawai’i Hilo at the newly refurbished UH Hilo Softball Field. First pitch is at noon.
