HONOLULU – On Friday, the Chaminade University baseball team rallied from six runs down to defeat Vanguard University in the series opener.
On Saturday, the Silverswords built a seven-run lead then hung on in the ninth inning to survive an 11-10 slugfest in Game 2 of the four-game series at the University of Hawai'i's Les Murakami Stadium.
Andrew Karns (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Coeur d'Alene) had three hits and drove in three while
Jackson Dorn (Happy Valley, Ore./Mt. Hood CC/Clackamas HS) brought two more to help the 'Swords win their second straight against the Pacific West Conference newcomers.
Chaminade, which has won the first two games of the series, improved to 17-22 and 15-19 in the PacWest while Vanguard fell to 23-17 and 19-15 in the conference.
After spotting the Lions a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the 'Swords scored three times in the bottom of the frame on Karn's two-run single followed by Dorn's RBI infield hit.
Vanguard plated three in the third to take a 4-3 lead but CUH answered with a five-spot in its half of the inning. Dorn was plunked with the bases loaded to force in the tying run followed by
Evon Williams (San Ramon, Calif./Dougherty Valley), who gave them a 5-4 lead with an RBI infield single. Williams later scored on a wild pitch then Dorn trotted home on a balk.
Jaren Banis (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) made it 8-4 with an RBI single.
Chaminade made it 11-4 with RBIs from
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS), Karns and
Ace Perry (Kaneohe, O'ahu, Hawai'i/University).
But the Lions roared back with three in the eighth then three more in the top of the ninth to draw to within 11-10. With runners at first and second with one out,
Joseph Perez (Goodyear, Ariz./Glendale CC/Verrado HS) got Josh Schleichardt to ground into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
Mac Elske (Lake Oswego, Ore./Lower Columbia CC/Lakeridge HS) went six innings, scattering 12 hits to improve his record to 3-1 while Perez allowed just one base runner to earn his sixth save.
Jake Hiner took the loss for Vanguard with Jaxson Davis driving in four.
The teams will close out the series on Sunday at Les Murakami Stadium with a seven-inning doubleheader which begins at 1 p.m.
