IRVINE, Calif. – The Chaminade University baseball team wrapped up their 11-game Southern California road trip Tuesday with 13-3 and 4-3 losses to Concordia University Irvine at Golden Eagles Field.
The Silverswords (13-26, 6-18 Pacific West Conference) finished the program's first-ever regular season mainland road trip with two wins during their two-week stay in SoCal.
The Golden Eagles, who took three of four to win the series, improved to 15-15 and 10-10 in the conference.
Game 1: CUI 13, CUH 3 (8 inn.)
The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 5-0 lead after four innings before the 'Swords managed to get into the scorecard in the fifth.
Ryan Ruch (San Diego/Patrick Henry) doubled in two runs after
Haruki Kitazaki (Fukuoka, Japan/Northwestern Oklahoma State/Jiyugaoka HS) and
Joe DuCoeur (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Lake City) had base hits before him.
DuCoeur got Chaminade's third run on a two-out single in the sixth.
Leading 11-3, CUI got two runs in the eighth to invoke the 10-run rule.
DuCoeur had three hits, a run and RBI while Kitazaki added two more knocks and two runs.
Sebastian Castro (San Diego/Palomar College/Great Oak) took the loss.
Riley O'Sullivan got the win for the Golden Eagles, although the 'Swords managed to get 10 hits off him.
Game 2: CUI 4, CUH 3
The first three innings was a pitchers' duel between
Mac Elske (Lake Oswego, Ore./Lower Columbia CC/Lakeridge HS) and Brett Finnel with just one hit allowed between them.
But CUI struck first with a two-run single by Haku Dudoit, a Wailuku, Maui, native, in the fourth, then tacked on two more in the fifth, taking a 4-0 lead. Finnel took a no-hitter into the sixth before
Ace Perry (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/University) broke it up with a single to right.
That led to Chaminade bunching successful at-bats together, loading the bases with no outs.
JT Navyac (Kailua, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Cal State Fullerton/Saint Louis HS) came through, bringing in two runs with a base hit followed by a sacrifice fly from
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama), narrowing the deficit to 4-3.
However that would be all the 'Swords got as they were retired in order in the seventh and final inning.
Elske took the loss while the Silverswords managed three hits.
Finnel earned the win for Concordia while Conor Meehan got the save.
The Silverswords return home and face the University of Hawai'i Hilo in a PacWest twin bill Friday at Les Murakami Stadium. First pitch of the nine-inning game is at 3 p.m. with the seven-inning night cap to follow 30 minutes after completion of the first. The games will also count towards the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge standings.
