HILO, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University baseball team began their final trip away from O'ahu on Sunday with a four-game series against the University of Hawai'i Hilo.
The Silverswords dropped the first game at Francis Wong Stadium, 7-1, then couldn't hold on to a final inning lead in the seven-inning nightcap, 5-4.
Safea Villaruz-Mauai (Hilo, Hawai'i/BYU/Waiakea HS) returned to his hometown for the first time as a collegian, getting two hits in both games while driving in a pair in the second.
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) drove in runs in both contests.
Chaminade fell to 14-21 overall and 12-18 in the Pacific West Conference while the Vulcans improved to 8-20 and 6-16 in the PacWest. The four-game series also counts in the PacWest Hawai'i standings.
Game 1: UHH 7, CUH 1
The Vulcans held a 2-0 lead then expanded it on a three-run home run from Noah Nakaoka in the bottom of the fourth.
Villaruz-Mauai led off the fifth with his second base hit of the contest and eventually scored on a Fujii sacrifice fly.
UH Hilo tacked on single runs in the seventh and eighth innings for the final margin.
Villaruz-Mauai had two of Chaminade's five base hits. Fellow Hilo native
Zion Palea (Hilo, Hawai'i/Hilo) tossed 2 2/3 of relief, scattering five hits while allowing one run with a strikeout.
Mac Elske (Lake Oswego, Ore./Lower Columbia CC/Lakeridge HS) was charged with the loss.
Logan Groff went all nine frames for UH Hilo to pick up the complete-game win.
Game 2: UHH 5, CUH 4
Fujii got the game's first run, driving in
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) on a first-inning fielder's choice.
After the Vulcans tied it in the third, Villaruz-Mauai made the most of his homecoming, doubling in two runs in the fifth to put CUH up 3-1.
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS) made it 4-1, scoring on a wild pitch in the sixth.
Then in the seventh and final scheduled inning, UH Hilo loaded the bases where Nakaoka drilled a liner to left where the ball was lodged under the fence for a bases-clearing ground-rule double, tying the score at 4. The Vulcans again loaded the bases where pinch-hitter Mason Cook singled off the right field wall with the walk-off winner.
As was the case in the first game, Villaruz-Mauai had two of Chaminade's five hits.
Mac Zawistoski (Coto de Caza, Calif./JSerra Catholic) went five innings, allowing one run on four hits in taking a no-decision.
Joseph Perez (Goodyear, Ariz./Glendale CC/Verrado HS) was charged with the loss.
Braden Lowe picked up the win in relief for UH Hilo.
The Silverswords and Vulcans will close the series on Monday with another nine- and seven-inning twin bill starting at 12 p.m.
