Chaminade Softball Puts UH on Its Heels Before 5th-Inning Comeback

For four innings, Chaminade’s softball team had the upper hand against a Division I program that finished last season with 30 wins.

The Division II Silverswords jumped out to a lead against the University of Hawai’i before the Rainbow Wahine scored four runs in the fifth and ultimately won 9-3 on Thursday. For a youthful squad adjusting to the graduation of six seniors, the performance in the three-game fall tournament was an early indication of what the Silverswords could do and where they still needed to grow.

“I’m happy that people are seeing that we were able to hold this D1 program at a smaller Division II school,” said Chaminade junior catcher Gabriella Schneider, who hit .288 last year.

UH entered the fall after finishing the last season 30-20 overall and second in the Big West Conference with a 21-6 record. Chaminade, meanwhile, finished 9-34 overall and 8-26 in the PacWest Conference.

On Thursday, in the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, the Silverswords wasted little time putting pressure on UH’s defense in the bottom of the first inning. Chaminade loaded the bases and capitalized on singles and strong baserunning to establish a three-run lead.

As Chaminade found success offensively, players in the dugout chanted and grew more energetic. Sophomore outfielder Haylie Reiny said the team entered the matchup confident after preparing throughout the fall.

“As a team, we had a lot of confidence built up throughout the fall, and this was a very highly anticipated game,” Reiny said. “So I think we just used that confidence to fight during this game.”

UH started to chip away at Chaminade’s advantage in the third, getting hits and bringing two runners home to make it 3-2. Despite its lead shrinking to one run, Chaminde held UH scoreless in the fourth inning to remain ahead.

Behind the plate, Schneider watched her teammates make defensive plays that helped keep UH from taking control earlier.

“I was really proud of our girls for clutching up,” Schneider said. “We had a lot of girls snag a lot of plays.”

The Silverswords were unable to build on their early offensive success. After scoring three runs in the opening inning, Chaminade went scoreless for the remainder of the game.

Chaminade assistant coach Eddie Kealoha, who works with the team’s hitters and infielders, said facing a Division I opponent gave the Silverswords an opportunity to evaluate their performance ahead of the regular season.

“It also shows us that we have areas where we can compete, but we have to be more consistent and execute better,” Kealoha said. “Games like this help us understand what we need to work toward as a team.”

UH broke through in the fifth inning, scoring four runs to take its first lead at 6-3. Freshman pitcher Olina Burgueno was then replaced by sophomore Kayden Lopez. However, the pitching change could not stop UH from extending the lead.

UH added another run in the sixth inning and two in the seventh to secure the 9-3 victory.

With six freshmen and one junior college transfer joining the roster, Schneider said the fall season has provided opportunities to build relationships with her new teammates.

Chaminade played three games last weekend in the Hawai’i Fall Invitational. Before facing UH, Chaminade fell 9-6 to Fullerton College earlier Thursday. However, the Silverswords bounced back Saturday with a 17-5 victory over Hawaiʻi Pacific University, finishing the Hawaiʻi Fall Invitational with a 1-2 record.

“Finally getting to bond with all the freshmen, because we actually haven’t had time to do any team bonding,” Schneider said.

The Silverswords’ early performance showed they could push UH, but the loss also showed areas that required work.

“I really think this one shows us our weaker spots and what we need to work on defensively, offensively,” Schneider said.

Chaminade Softball Puts UH on Its Heels Before 5th-Inning Comeback

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