WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University baseball team posted six runs against one of the top baseball programs in the nation on Friday but it wasn't enough to score the upset.
North Greenville University scored in each of the first three innings to get an 11-6 win over the Silverswords at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park Baseball Complex.
Chaminade, which is 1-2 to start Year 2 of the program's resurrection, got excellent production at the top of its lineup card with Batters 1 through 4 combining for nine hits.
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) and
Safea Villaruz-Mauai (Hilo, Hawai'i/BYU/Waiakea HS) each accounted for three knocks and drove in a run.
The Trailblazers, currently ranked No. 6 in the ABCA Coaches Poll and 8 in the NCBWA Media Poll and also just three years removed from a Division II national championship, posted a crooked number with three in the first.
Villaruz-Mauai and
Jackson Dorn (Happy Valley, Ore./Mt. Hood CC/Clackamas HS) drove in runs in the home half of the first to close within 3-2.
Down 6-2 in the third,
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) knocked in
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS). However, NGU increased its lead to 11-3 entering the bottom the ninth.
The 'Swords did make a little noise in the frame from an RBI double from Kudell, who later scored on a wild pitch.
Harrison Clark (Snoqualmie, Wash./Bellevue College/Mount Si HS) also drove in a run.
Chris Cody (Orange, Calif./Irvine Valley College/El Modena HS) suffered the loss while Connor Brinson got the win in relief for North Greenville.
The Silverswords will face the Trailblazers again on Saturday at Hans L'Orange Field in a designated exhibition game.
Their next regular season action is Thursday when they open Pacific West Conference action on the road at Azusa Pacific, a 13-day trip which will also see them play a four-game series at Westmont College.
