HONOLULU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Hilo Softball swept Chaminade, 7-0 and 8-2, on Friday afternoon in Pacific West Conference action at Silversword Field at the Mauli Ola Sports Complex at Sand Island Park to clinch a berth in the 2026 PacWest Championships next month.

Now boasting a nine-game win streak to a current 20-10 PacWest record, Hawai'i Hilo has clinched a spot in the four-team postseason conference tournament joining Concordia (27-7) and Biola (26-7). Action is slated for May 4-7 at Biola's Freedom Field in La Mirada, California.

Madison Rabe tossed a complete-game shutout in Game 1 holding Chaminade to just two hits with five strikeouts and four walks over seven innings. Janessa Santos followed in Game 2, allowing just two unearned runs on seven hits with six strikeouts over seven innings to improve to 10-1.

Chenoa Cainglit went 4 for 6 with four RBI on the day, capping a five-run sixth inning in Game 1 with a three-run triple followed by a three-hit outing with an RBI in Game 2.

NOTES

• Game 1: Hawai'i Hilo 7 - Chaminade 0
  • Rabe's seven-inning shutout was her first of the season, allowing just two hits (both singles) with 12 fly outs and one groundout.
  • Hawai'i Hilo scored in the first inning on a Mia Joaquin RBI single and added a run in the third with Mariah Antoque (reached with lead-off walk) scoring on a wild pitch.
  • A Silverswords fielding error with three walks distributed (Antoque and Joaquin drew RBI walks) helped fuel a five-run top of the sixth for the Vulcans capped by Cainglit's three-run triple.
  • Vulcans left 13 runners on base including thrice leaving the bases loaded.
• Game 2: Hawai'i Hilo 8 - Chaminade 2
  • Vulcans broke a 2-all game with a six-run top-of-the-fourth inning highlighted by RBI hits from Lexie Tilton, Ava Monturio and Cainglit. Chaminade committed three defensive errors in the inning.
  • Tilton moves to No. 4 in the program record books with 103 career RBI surpassing Charity Senas (2005-2007) at 102 and moving into a tie with Haunani Hassenritter (2004-2007).
  • Santos allowed both Chaminade runs in the bottom of the first but was stout the rest of the way finishing with six strikeouts with nine fly outs and six groundouts — including one putout and one assist.
  • Santos dropped her conference-season opposing batting average to a league-best .175 with an ERA of 1.47 (ranked No. 2). Santos' overall ERA of 1.64 ranks tied for second in the West Region.
  • Cainglit went 3 for 4 with an RBI, six putouts and one assist behind the plate.
  • Monturio finished 2 for 4 with two RBI and seven putouts at first base.
  • Tilton went 2 for 3 with an RBI and four putouts in left field.
• Hawai'i Hilo: 23-14 Overall (20-10 PacWest)
  • Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 6
  • Current Conference Standing: No. 3
  • Current Win Streak: 9
• Chaminade: 9-34 Overall (8-26 PacWest)
  • Honolulu, Hawai'i
  • Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 9
  • Current Conference Standing: No. 9

UP NEXT

• Sunday, April 26 (NOON + 2:30 PM) at HPU (Honolulu, Hawai'i)
• Friday, May 1 (NOON + 2:30 PM) vs HPU (Vulcan Softball Field)
  • Senior Day
• May 4-7 at PacWest Championships (La Mirada, California)

PACWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS

The four-team 2026 PacWest Championships postseason tournament will be hosted by Biola on May 5-7 in La Mirada, California. Clinched: Concordia (27-7), Biola (26-7), Hawai'i Hilo (20-10). Eliminated: HPU (5-27), Chaminade (8-26), Menlo (12-23), Azusa Pacific (16-18).

NCAA WEST REGIONAL RANKINGS

NCAA Division II Championships Committee released its first Division II Softball Regional Rankings earlier this week listing Hawai'i Hilo among the top 10 teams under consideration in the West Region.

The latest rankings list teams alphabetically with no numerical order assigned. Joining the Vulcans (21-14) in the West Region top 10 are Biola (32-17), Cal State Dominguez Hills (31-20), Cal State East Bay (34-10), Cal State Monterey Bay (26-29), Cal State San Marcos (42-5), Concordia (37-13), Northwest Nazarene (26-17), Stanislaus State (19-19) and Western Washington (25-16). Three automatic bids are awarded to the champions of the PacWest Conference, Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), and California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with five at-large selections rounding out the field.

PACWEST HAWAI'I CHALLENGE

With two wins on Friday, Hawai'i Hilo earned four points in the Softball competition of the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge. Through Friday's doubleheader, Hawai'i Hilo and Chaminade are tied with six points apiece while HPU has four. Four games remain between Hawai'i Hilo and HPU.

Hawai'i Hilo had already wrapped up this year's challenge after the Men's Golf team repeated as four-time PacWest Champions earlier this week. — marking the third consecutive year of winning the annual competition (fourth time in the last five years) between the three NCAA Division II schools in Hawai'i. Vulcans currently have a final score of 21 points and is guaranteed at least two more points (at least one point for baseball and one point for softball) and will finish with a minimum final score of 23. A maximum of six points (three in each sport) is up for grabs but it still won't be enough for Chaminade (15) and HPU (16) to tie or overtake the top spot.

The year-long PacWest Hawai'i Challenge tracks head-to-head (Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Women's Volleyball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Softball, Baseball) and common conference event results (Women's Cross Country, Women's Tennis, Men's Golf) in equal sponsored sports between Hawai'i's three NCAA Division II schools. Full breakdown available at HiloAthletics.com/PWCHI.