WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University opened the PacWest Conference softball season in style by sweeping a doubleheader from cross-town rival Chaminade on Friday at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.
 
The Sharks (8-8, 2-0) toppled the Swords (3-6, 0-2) with a 12-0 run-rule shutout and an 11-3 seven inning shutdown.
 
The opener featured a pair of scoreless innings before HPU piled on six runs in the third. Freshman Cieana Curran of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City doubled to left center and senior Tiana Cantero-Kawelo of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua outran the sacrifice bunt advancing Curran to third. After Cantero-Kawelo stole second, junior Sierra Dias of Mililani, Hawai'i/Bishop Gorman brought in the first and only run needed to win with a sacrifice fly. Five more consecutive base hits from Noel Saunders of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City, Leipua Kaui of Kapa'a, Hawai'i/Kapa'a, Emilee Leonard of La Mirada, Calif./St. Paul, Brandi Leong of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua, and Curry along with a Chaminade throwing error made it 5-0 Sharks. A final RBI single from Curran topped off the inning at 6-0.
 
In the fourth, the Sharks tallied three more runs on base hits from Dias and Saunders and a walk for Leonard to load the bases. Another RBI base hit for Leong added run seven while Saunders scored on a passed ball. Curry added the ninth with a sacrifice fly to center field.
 
In the fifth and final inning of the first contest, both Curran and sophomore Ashley Iseri of Cerritos, Calif./Whitney started off with doubles to left and right center followed by the huge homer from sophomore Mary Dungey of Las Vegas, Nev./Silverado to end the game at 12-0.
 
Senior Jordan Curry (6-2) of Farmington, N.M./Farmington pitched for all five innings not allowing a single run on eight hits. She picked up three strikeouts and didn't give up a walk in her sixth win of the season.
 
Chaminade's Madelyn Stockslager (3-3) also pitched the full five frames giving up 12 runs (11 earned) on 16 hits with one walk. She picked up two strikeouts but suffered her third loss of the season.
 
Both Curran and Saunders hit 3-for-3 on the game with two runs scored and Curran with an RBI. Leong hit 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI's and a run scored.
 
In Game 2, the Sharks were on the board in frame one as Cantero-Kawelo was walked, sacrificed to second from Dias, and brought home with an RBI single to center field from Saunders.
 
HPU topped that with another run in the third inning, and this time it was Saunders running bases starting with her base knock up the middle. She stole second and was brought in by Leong with a double right down the left field line for a 2-0 lead.
 
Another pair of HPU runs came in the fourth on a walk, a single from Curran, another walk to load the bases, and Dias taking the pitch for an RBI. Curran was brought in by a sacrifice fly taking it to 4-0. Leonard hit the first of two home runs in fifth to give the Sharks a 5-0 lead.
 
Chaminade's only three runs came in the sixth inning as Kayla Henmi and Alexis Velazquez tallied base hits and Marlisa Berrelleza cranked a three-run homer over the center fence. With that, the Swords were right back in the game at 5-3.
 
The Sharks responded big with six runs in the seventh. The first a retaliation lead-off homer from Kaui cranked over the center field fence. Leong took the second bruiser of the game to get on base and then stole second. Leonard followed Kaui's suit with her own two run homer to left field making it 8-3. Iseri reached on a fielder's choice and Curran found first on a Chaminade fielding error. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Dias brought both of them home with a base knock up the middle. The final run came on another Silversword fielding error as Saunders was able to tag home before Kaui was thrown out at second base ending the game at 11-3.
 
Leonard (2-2) pitched all seven frames for the Sharks allowing three runs on five hits with three walks. She picked up a whopping nine strikeouts in the game for her first win of the season. She hit 3-for-4 on the game including two home runs for three RBIs.
 
Chaminade's Michelle Sasaki (0-2) also threw all seven allowing 11 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits with three walks and a strikeout.
 
HPU returns to the field Wednesday for a PacWest doubleheader against Notre Dame de Namur. Weather permitting, the Sharks hopeto play their first contests at Howard Okita Field with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
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