The University of Hawaii at Hilo softball team relied upon youth and experience to sweep a doubleheader from Chaminade University, 10-0 and 8-0 in mercy-rule games on Sunday afternoon.
In the opener of the Pacific West Conference twinbill at the UH-Hilo field, freshman Ashley Nelson pitched a five-inning two-hitter and the Vulcans (24-18 overall, 18-11 PacWest) used a 13-hit attack to blank the Silverswords (15-30, 9-23) by the 10-0 score. Twelve of the 13 hits were singles. Chaminade starter Brett Aspel (8-16) went two innings and took the loss.
Nelson, a southpaw out of San Diego, mixed her pitches well while striking out four and not allowing a walk. She picked up the win as well as praise from UH-Hilo coach Jaime Wallin.
“Ashley did a really good job,” Wallin said. “She kept them off-balance and put her pitches where she needed them, on both sides of the plate. She also had an effective change-up going today. It was a nice effort.”
And while Nelson was shutting down Chaminade, her teammates ripped Aspel for 10 hits and eight runs and reliever Rayna Strom-Okimoto (two innings) for three hits and two more runs in the victory.
“We had only one extra-base hit in the opener,” Wallin said. “But it was good to see everyone up and down the batting order swing the bat. We had eight different players with hits.”
Freshman Shelby Vickers, out of Henderson, Nev., led the UH-Hilo attack. She went 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Teammates Emily Greene, Aisha Sueda and Melanie Morelos each added two hits. Greene and first baseman Asha Prithviraj had two RBIs apiece, and Sueda scored twice.
Chaminade’s two hits were a double by Strom-Okimoto and a single by Elia Lizarraga.
In Game 2, senior starter Amber Waracka (three innings) and senior reliever Jessica Pepin (three innings) combined on a four-hit shutout to beat the Silverswords 8-0. Waracka allowed three hits and no runs while striking out two and walking two. Pepin (8-6) got the win, holding the visitors to one hit and no runs the final three frames. She didn’t record a strikeout or walk.
“Amber and Jessica did a good job against a team that has seen them pitch before,” Wallin said. “Both were effective, and our defense played well. Overall, I thought we played a lot better today than Saturday, and the team did some really good things. This was a nice tune-up for HPU.”
Chaminade starter Kaitlyn Watanabe (7-13) went the distance. She gave up 13 hits and eight runs in taking the loss. She struck out one and walked two.
Greene, Sueda, Prithviraj, Bryanna Hardy and Brittany Spencer each had two hits to lead UH-Hilo. Greene, a freshman third baseman, also drove in three runs, while Vickers had a home run and an RBI.
First baseman Aja Keyes had two hits to lead the Silverswords.
The Vulcans close out their season against HPU this Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at the UH-Hilo field. It’ll be Senior Day for Vulcans Nicole Alconcel, Hardy, Sueda, Waracka and Pepin.
