HILO, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University baseball team played their final road games of the season Monday, wrapping up their four-game series at the University of Hawai'i Hilo at Francis Wong Stadium.
The Silverswords held on for a 4-3 win in the first game, which saw blustery conditions with sustained winds at 20 miles per hour and gusts up to 35. The Vulcans posted six runs in the fifth inning of the seven-inning nightcap for a 7-5 win to take three games of the four-game series, the only meetings between the two squads this season.
Chaminade is 15-22 overall and 13-19 in the Pacific West Conference while UH Hilo is 9-21 and 7-17 in the PacWest. Their three wins in the series also gave them six points in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge.
Game 1: CUH 4, UHH 3
The Silverswords struck first, getting a run in the top of the third without the benefit of a hit. Hilo native
Safea Villaruz-Mauai (Hilo, Hawai'i/BYU/Waiakea HS) was hit by a pitch followed by walks to
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) and
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS). Vulcans hurler Brayden Hiraki then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Villaruz-Mauai to scamper home.
UH Hilo countered with a run in its half of the third.
Chaminade remained without a base hit until two outs in the sixth when
Alex Greb's (Seattle/Wenatchee Valley College/Ballard HS) high fly ball was lost in the sun and landed between infielders, breaking up the Vulcans' potential no-hit bid.
Trysten Mooney (Helena, Mont./Wenatchee Valley College/Capital HS) followed with a solid hit to center, moving Greb to third but were unable to get him across.
The Vulcans loaded the bases in their half of the seventh but reliever
Chris Cody (Orange, Calif./Irvine Valley College/El Modena HS) got a fly out to help the 'Swords escape the jam with no harm done.
The Silverswords finally broke the deadlock in the eighth on
Jake Harper's (San Pedro, Calif./El Camino College/San Pedro HS) clutch two-out, two-run single to right, putting them up 3-1. Kudell then gave the 'Swords an insurance run in the top of the ninth with his RBI fielder's choice at second.
It turned out the run was significant. UH Hilo scored on a groundout, cutting Chaminade's lead to 4-3. With the tying run at third, Mooney made a big defensive play behind the plate, jumping out of his crouch with a backhanded stab, preventing the tying run from scoring on a wild pitch. They also got a break when Mason Cook's pop-up at home plate fell between three 'Swords but landed a foot in foul territory.
Rhyn Chambers (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) then struck out Cook to end the game.
The Silverswords, who were no-hit after 5 2/3 innings, got all six of their hits in the final 3 1/3 with Mooney getting two. Cody got the win in relief, his second of the season. Starter
Xavier Stoker (Cedar City, Utah/College of the Canyons//Canyon View HS) allowed just one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Chambers got his first save of the season.
Xavier Pressley got the loss for the Vulcans.
Game 2: UHH 7, CUH 1
Evon Williams (San Ramon, Calif./Dougherty Valley) doubled with one out in Chaminade's first inning and later came around on Kudell's RBI single.
It remained a 1-0 'Swords' lead until the fifth when the Vulcans scored six times in their half of the frame, the big blow being a two-run homer from Braeden Mondeau.
Chaminade made some noise in the seventh and final scheduled inning with an RBI single from Villaruz-Mauai, his third RBI of the series. Fujii followed with a two-run mash to left, his fifth of the season, then
Andrew Karns (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Coeur d'Alene) went yard with a solo homer, his first this season. Suddenly, the Silverswords were within 7-5 with the tying run on deck, although they were not able to get the next batter on.
Kudell and
Jackson Dorn (Happy Valley, Ore./Mt. Hood CC/Clackamas HS) each had two of Chaminade's 10 hits.
Brennen Panis (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea) went four innings in taking the loss.
Orlando Leon, Jr. went the distance for UH Hilo to earn the win.
The Silverswords will return to O'ahu for the first time in over a month against Vanguard University in a four-game series starting Friday, April 11, at the University of Hawai'i Manoa's Les Murakami Stadium. It will be the start of their season-ending 12-game home stand, interspersed with a "road" game at UH Manoa on April 22.
