WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University baseball team's first-ever meeting against Azusa Pacific was successful, holding off the Cougars' ninth-inning rally in the completion of Wednesday's weather suspended game.
In Thursday's regularly scheduled doubleheader, however, APU, which had dropped its first five Pacific West Conference games, found its footing to capture both games.
The Silverswords were held to just four hits in the seven-inning opener in their 9-1 defeat then pounded out 14 hits in the nightcap but still fell short in a 12-10, nine-inning slugfest.
Ryan Ruch (San Diego/Patrick Henry) continued to wear out opposing pitchers, getting two knocks in both games to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.
Chaminade fell to 11-13 on the season and 4-5 in the PacWest. Azusa Pacific, the conference preseason favorite but had its struggles to start the season, improved to 7-15 and 2-5 in the PacWest to win the series. Wednesday's second game was postponed although the teams could make it up when the 'Swords visit Southern California later this month.
Game 1: APU 9, CUH 1
After falling short in the completion of the suspended game just minutes earlier, APU kept its hitting momentum with a three-spot in the top of the first. They added five more in the top of the seventh.
The 'Swords' lone run came in the fourth on an RBI single by
JT Navyac (Kailua, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Cal State Fullerton/Saint Louis HS).
Brayden Wells (Pullman, Wash./Lower Columbia CC/Pullman HS) took the loss for Chaminade while Aidan Langley picked up the win.
Game 2: APU 12, CUH 10
Chaminade spotted Azusa Pacific five runs in the first two innings but responded with a big home half of the second.
Cato Kleinman (Westlake Village, Calif./Monterey Peninsula College/Westlake HS),
Josh Regalla (Acworth, Ga./Harrison) singled in runs while Regalla scored when the catcher's throw to nab him at third went into left field. Three batters later,
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) crushed a 3-1 offering over left field for a three-run homer – the freshman's first career dinger – to give the 'Swords a 6-5 lead.
APU went back ahead with a four-run third but CUH inched closer on Lobeto's RBI single while Kudell flew into an inning-ending double play but Harper raced home before the third-out tag at first could be applied to trail 9-8.
The Cougars added single runs in the fifth and seventh for an 11-8 advantage. Chaminade answered on RBI doubles in the seventh from Navyac and Kudell to close within 11-10 with one out and a runner at third when the game took a bizarre turn.
Kleinman had seemingly tied it with a sacrifice fly to right but the Cougars threw to third on an appeal and won, erasing the tying run and thus ending the inning with the 'Swords still trailing.
The Cougars got an insurance run in the ninth before Chaminade got the tying run at second in the home half of the inning but could not bring the runners in.
The 'Swords pounded out 14 hits with Lobetos and Navyac getting three each, part of their first five batters in the order going 11-for-22 at the dish with eight RBI. Lobetos drove in a season-high four runs while Kudell added two more.
Xavier Stoker (Cedar City, Utah/College of the Canyons//Canyon View HS) suffered the loss while Gavino Rosales got the win in relief.
The Silverswords remaining home games will be played at the University of Hawai'i Manoa's Les Murakami Stadium, starting on Saturday, March 16 with the opening of a four-game series against PacWest newcomer Westmont College. First pitch is at 3 p.m. followed by the seven-inning nightcap.
