WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University baseball team opened their final series of the season Thursday with an 8-3 defeat to Hawai'i Pacific University at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park (CORP) Baseball Complex.
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS) had two hits including a two-run home run for the Silverswords, who fell to 17-30 and 15-26 in the Pacific West Conference.
The Sharks, who already qualified for one of the four berths in the upcoming PacWest Tournament, improved to 28-19 and 26-15 in the conference.
HPU, the PacWest's top hitting squad at .340 and ranked 13th in Division II entering the series, wasted little time by sending eight batters to the plate in the top of the first, resulting in four runs. They added another in the second.
Jackson Dorn (Happy Valley, Ore./Mt. Hood CC/Clackamas HS) got the 'Swords first run with an RBI single in the second. After the Sharks added a sixth run in the fourth,
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) led off with a strikeout but reached base on a wild pitch. Three pitches later, Kudell sent a moonshot over the right-centerfield fence, his second homer of the season, cutting the deficit to 6-3.
From there, pitchers from both sides found a groove with no scoring over the next four innings before HPU managed to push two runs across in the ninth. The 'Swords could not answer on their end, seeing 16 of their final 17 batters retired, the exception being a
Trysten Mooney (Helena, Mont./Wenatchee Valley College/Capital HS) single to open the eighth.
CUH starter
Brennen Panis (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea) went a season-high six innings and scattering 11 hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Mac Zawistoski (Coto de Caza, Calif./JSerra Catholic) threw the last three innings.
Jayden Gabrillo went six frames for HPU to pick up the win while Jacob Vanek tossed the final three to earn the save, allowing just six hits.
Game 2 of the series is back at CORP Baseball Complex with a 2 p.m. first pitch.
