HONOLULU – When Chaminade University's first intercollegiate baseball team took the field as a new program in 1980, the team played most of their home games at what was then known as University of Hawai'i Baseball Stadium.
On Saturday, the resurrected Silverswords' baseball team returned to the original site where they played 14 times in that first year. Now known as Les Murakami Stadium where the old field once stood, the 'Swords were hoping to make it a happy homecoming 44 years later.
Instead, visiting and fellow Pacific West Conference newcomer Westmont College spoiled the party, taking both games of the doubleheader with 11-3 and 4-3 wins.
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS) drove in three runs while
Ryan Ruch (San Diego/Patrick Henry), who leads NCAA Division II in batting, totaled three hits and extended his hitting streak to 14 games in the twin bill.
Chaminade fell to 11-15 and 4-7 in the conference. Westmont, which captured the NAIA national championship in their final year of membership last season, won its sixth straight in its Hawai'i road trip and improved to 16-7-3 and a conference-leading 8-1-1.
Game 1: WC 11, CUH 3
A first-inning double steal allowed the Warriors to get the game's first run while Chaminade countered in their half of the first on Kudell's RBI single.
After Westmont took a 4-1 edge in the third,
JT Navyac (Kailua, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Cal State Fullerton/Saint Louis HS) got the second of this game-high three hits, bringing Chaminade to within 4-2 on his RBI single.
However, the Warriors plated two runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to take control. Navyac got his second RBI in the bottom of the seventh.
In the ninth, Ruch, who was 0-for-3 and his hit streak in jeopardy, lashed an opposite field single to left to extend his streak.
Max Patterson (Honolulu/Olympic College/Kalani HS) tossed five innings with five strikeouts but took the loss to fall to 3-2.
Bryan Peck improved to 5-1 with the win.
Game 2: WC 4, CUH 3
Kudell's first inning RBI got Chaminade on the board first but Westmont answered with two runs in the second, aided by an outfield error.
Ruch had an RBI single in the third, which not only extended his hitting streak to 14, but more importantly, knotted the game at 2.
Westmont took a 3-2 lead in the fourth then fifth, Kudell brought home his second run, tying the game at 3 each.
Then in the top of the seventh, the Warriors got the go-ahead run on a hopper that got past Chaminade's drawn-in infield. The 'Swords were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama), Kudell and Ruch each had two hits in the nightcap.
Despite taking the loss to fall to 0-3,
Brayden Wells (Pullman, Wash./Lower Columbia CC/Pullman HS) pitched valiantly, accomplishing what no other pitcher did on Westmont's current road trip; toss at least six innings and allow just four runs. Entering Saturday, the Warriors totaled 52 runs in their four-game series against Hawai'i Pacific.
Aidan Holly got his first win of the year, coming in relief while Zach Yates earned his fifth save.
The Silverswords and Warriors conclude their series with a doubleheader at The Les on Sunday starting at noon, followed by the seven-inning finale which follows.
