WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University baseball team posted its highest run total of the season Tuesday in their return to O'ahu, a stretch of 21 straight games at home.
Ryan Ruch (San Diego/Patrick Henry) and
Evon Williams (San Ramon, Calif./Dougherty Valley) provided plenty of punch at the bottom of the order, combining for five hits and eight RBI for the Silverswords, who returned from the Big Island Baseball Bash with a 14-5 win over Saint Martin's University at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park (CORP) Baseball Complex.
Ruch doubled twice and had five RBI on the evening.
Jake Harper (San Pedro, Calif./El Camino College/San Pedro HS) added two more hits and drove in three more as the 'Swords avenged their Saturday defeat to the Saints in Hilo.
Chaminade had nine hits and got help from Saint Martin's, scoring two runs on passed balls, two on hit batters and another on a walk.
After falling behind 2-0 after two innings, the 'Swords scored three runs in the fourth on a Ruch RBI single and a two-run knock from Harper. Chaminade put up another crooked number in the sixth with Ruch and Williams hitting consecutive doubles to in three more runs.
Ruch wasn't done, driving in two more on his second two-bagger in the seventh. Chaminade, which sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning, got two gift runs on a passed ball and a bases-loaded walk from
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS), tying him with
Cato Kleinman (Westlake Village, Calif./Monterey Peninsula College/Westlake HS) for the team's RBI lead with six, giving them a 10-3 lead.
The Silverswords batted around again in the eighth, getting four more runs, capped by an RBI single from Kudell.
While there were runs aplenty, Chaminade pitching kept the Saint at bay.
JT Navyac (Kailua, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Cal State Fullerton/Saint Louis HS) got his first-ever collegiate start and, despite allowing two unearned runs in the second inning, had two 1-2-3 innings including striking out the side in the fourth.
Sebastian Castro (San Diego/Palomar College/Great Oak) took over in the fifth, retiring 10 of the 12 batters he faced until being relieved in the eighth.
Navyac struck out nine in his four innings while Castro went 3 1/3 innings to earn his first win of the season as the 'Swords struck out a school-record 15.
Nikki Scott took the loss for SMU in his first decision of the season.
The Silverswords return to action Saturday as they open a four-game non-conference series against the University of Hawai'i Hilo at CORP. Saturday's twin bill starts at 3 p.m. followed by the second game 30 minutes after the completion of the first.
