HONOLULU – The Chaminade University baseball team exploded for seven runs in the first inning on Saturday to help them earn an 11-5 win over Biola University at Les Murakami Stadium at the University of Hawai'i Manoa campus.
Four Silverswords had two RBI each while the team itself collected a season-high 13 base hits to help them salvage the four-game series split against the Eagles.
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS) and
Safea Villaruz-Mauai (Hilo, Hawai'i/BYU/Waiakea HS) each had two hits and two RBI on the afternoon, the latter powering a two-run home run.
Jake Harper (San Pedro, Calif./El Camino College/San Pedro HS) put together his second straight three-hit game which helped extend his hitting streak to five straight.
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) and
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) also drove in two runs for Chaminade, which improved to 8-12 and 6-10 in the Pacific West Conference.
After spotting the Eagles (11-12, 8-8 PacWest) a first-inning run, Harper led off the 'Swords' half of the first with a double. Kudell singled him in to even the score, bringing up Mauai who crushed a two-run shot over the right field fence, his sixth jack of the season and 21st RBI, both team highs. Each of Villaruz-Mauai's last three homers have been at Les Murakami Stadium, a venue he called home in 2021 at a member of the Rainbow Warriors.
But the 'Swords weren't done. Lobetos delivered a two-run double, followed by a run-scoring single from
Jaren Banis (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama). Harper made it 7-1 with an RBI single in his second at-bat of the inning. In all, 11 'Swords stepped up to the plate in the frame.
Eagles reliever Andrew Zittel then retired 10 straight 'Swords before they figured him out in the fifth when Kudell put down a perfectly executed bunt single to lead off the inning. CUH loaded the bases where Fujii ended Zittel's scoreless run with a sacrifice fly to increase their lead to 8-2.
Biola closed to within 8-4 but Fujii ripped a double to the left field corner, allowing Villaruz-Mauai to rumble home all the way from first.
The Eagles got a run in the eighth to close to within 9-5 but the Silverswords applied the knockout blow, getting two runs when Kudell was plunked with the bases loaded followed by an RBI force out by
Alex Greb (Seattle/Wenatchee Valley College/Ballard HS).
Xavier Stoker (Cedar City, Utah/College of the Canyons//Canyon View HS) went 6 1/3 frames, scattering nine hits with two strikeouts and two earned runs.
Zion Palea (Hilo, Hawai'i/Hilo) and
Brennen Panis (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea) took care of the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing just one run with five combined strikeouts.
Nick Brown took the loss for Biola, lasting just 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs on six hits.
The Silverswords are back at Les Murakami Stadium on Tuesday – where they are 3-0 this season which includes the upset of Wichita State – when they face the stadium's tenants, the University of Hawai'i Manoa. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.
