LA MIRADA, Calif. – The Chaminade University baseball team on Monday fell to Biola University, 6-2, at Eagles Diamond to win the season series.
Jake Harper (San Pedro, Calif./El Camino College/San Pedro HS) had two of the team's six hits to extend his reached-base streak to eight.
JT Navyac (Kailua, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Cal State Fullerton/Saint Louis HS) and
Haruki Kitazaki (Fukuoka, Japan/Northwestern Oklahoma State/Jiyugaoka HS) each drove in a run for the Silverswords, who fell to 12-19 on the season and 5-11 in the Pacific West Conference.
Biola (15-14-1, 7-8 PacWest) scored twice in the second and fourth innings to take two of three in the originally scheduled four-game series, which was shortened to three due to Saturday's rainout. The fourth game of the series will likey not be made up.
The Silverswords, trailing 4-0, ended the shutout in the sixth inning when Kitazaki drew a bases-loaded walk, the graduate transfer's first RBI as a 'Sword and Navyac followed with a sacrifice fly to bring them within two runs. A walk to
Evon Williams (San Ramon, Calif./Dougherty Valley) again loaded the bases but an inning-ending double play quelled the Chaminade rally.
The Eagles got the runs back on a Jonathan Kumai two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth which helped them clinch the series.
Xavier Stoker (Cedar City, Utah/College of the Canyons//Canyon View HS) went 3 2/3 innings to suffer the loss while Gilbert Lopez earned the win for BU.
The Silverswords will travel down the coast and face Point Loma, ranked No. 5 in the NCBWA Top 25 Poll, to open a four-game series in San Diego on Wednesday. First pitch of the doubleheader is 9 a.m. Hawai'i time.
