HILO, Hawai`i—It was Senior Day at the UH Hilo softball field on Saturday and five Vulcan seniors were honored after the game.

While all in attendance were able to applaud the five that have given much to the Vulcan softball program, they also got a positive glimpse into the future on the same day.

UH Hilo used the long ball by underclassmen and seniors, and freshman Leah Gonzales picked up two wins in the pitcher's circle as the Vulcans swept Chaminade at the UH Hilo Softball field, 4-3 and 12-6. The wins put UH Hilo over .500 overall at 21-19 and even in the Pacific West Conference at 12-12. The Silverswords fell to 6-34 in 2017 and are now 3-21 in the PacWest.

Seniors Cristina Menjivar and Danielle Pulido both hit home runs, with Pulido launching a grand slam in game two. Freshman Brinell Kaleikini provided the dramatics in the first game with a game-winning three-run shot in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gonzales came on in relief in both games to pick up the victories to improve to 8-5 on the season.

In the first game, the Vulcans found themselves behind 3-0 in the second inning via a three-run bomb off the bat of Kiana Ulufale, and that lead held for five innings behind the pitching of Luana Moreno.

In the sixth, it was a senior, Menjivar, that got the Vulcans jump-started. The first baseman launched a ball over the center field fence to pull her team within one run (3-1). Billi Derleth followed with a base hit, as did Pulido, setting the table for Kaleikini, who just last week hit a walk-off home run against Hawaii Pacific.

It was not a walk-off this time, but it was just as effective as the outfielder blasted the ball over the left field fence, driving home three runs and giving the Vulcans a 4-3 lead. Gonzales hit one batter in the top of the seventh but otherwise got the three outs she needed to end the game.

Pulido and Kaleikini both had two hits in the game for UHH. Gonzales pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, replacing Cyanne Fernandez, to get the win. She gave up just two hits and did not walk a batter.

In the second game, Chaminade took the early lead again, this time 2-0 in the first inning after an error with two outs brought home two runs. This time, the Vulcans didn't wait as long to rally back, placing a seven on the board in the bottom of third.

In that decisive inning, pitcher Danielle Wilson led off the inning with a single to right field. After a hit batter and an error, Bailey Gaspar ripped a single off the center field wall, driving home two runs. Another walk and a single by Kacie Freudenberger loaded the bases for Pulido, who ripped a four-bagger to clear the bases.

That would prove to be all the runs the Vulcans would need, although the Silverswords would put a crooked number on the board in the fourth with three runs. They would add one more in the fifth to pull within one (7-6), but UHH put insurance runs in the scorebook in the fifth (2) and sixth (3). Two of the runs in the sixth were brought home on a Gaspar home run, her 11^th of the season.

Gaspar had two hits and drove in four runs in the second game, as did Pulido. Kaleikini had two hits again as well. That trio also had four RBI each on the day.

Gonzales pitched four innings in relief to get the win, scattering six hits and allowing just one run.

The five seniors were honored after the game—Pulido, Wilson, Menjivar, Amanda Lara and Samantha Lauro.

The Vulcans will travel to Laie next weekend to take on BYU-Hawaii for doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.