HONOLULU – After two days of torrential rain brought on by the latest Kona Low storm, the Chaminade University and Westmont College baseball teams finally managed to get in two of the final three games of the series on Saturday at the University of Hawai'i's Les Murakami Stadium.
The Silverswords were four outs away from getting their first-ever win against the Warriors in the matinee before Westmont rallied for seven runs in the final three innings in a 7-4 win in eight innings.
Chaminade was held to just three hits in the nightcap to suffer a three-game sweep to the nationally ranked Warriors. The fourth game of the series was rained out and will not be made up.
Caleb Wagner (Menifee, Calif./Mesa) had a three-hit first game while
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) had three hits on the afternoon.
Chris Mata (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/South Mountain CC/Maui HS) had base knocks in both games, extending his hitting streak to 12.
Chaminade fell to 7-22 and 5-18 in the Pacific West Conference while Westmont, ranked No. 18 in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and No. 23 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 25 Polls, is 17-5 and 14-5 in the conference and have won all 11 meetings in the all-time series.
Game 1: WC 7, CUH 4 (8 inn.)
Wagner's RBI double in the second opened the scoring followed by Chaminade's three-run fourth on a two-run
Bode Poler (Montesano, Wash./Gonzaga University/Montesano HS) single. A sacrifice fly by
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) made it 4-0.
Starter
Anthony O'Canas (Woodland, Calif./American River College/Woodland HS) was twirling a gem, allowing just two hits through the first five innings. After getting two outs in the sixth, he ran into trouble with Westmont touching him for the four runs which tied it at 4.
In the bottom of the seventh, the 'Swords had runners at second and third with one out and came inches away from a walk-off but a line drive was caught at the shoestrings by shortstop Zach Mora who then fired to third base for the game-saving double play.
The scheduled seven-inning contest went into an extra inning where the Warriors plated three runs. CUH wasn't able to counter in its half of the eighth.
Ryan Kepple (Dana Point, Calif./Saddleback College/Capistrano Valley Christian HS) took the loss while Josh Hickey got the win in relief.
Game 2: WC 3, CUH 0
Unlike the big scoring innings, the Warriors were methodical with single runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings.
Fujii was the 'Swords' lone runner in scoring position, getting a double that was just five feet away from leaving the yard in the second inning. His second hit was a single in the fourth while Mata's streak-extending hit in the sixth was the only other CUH base knock.
Brennen Panis (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea) was solid with five innings pitched, allowing just two runs with five strikeouts but had the unlucky losing decision.
Joey Rico got the win for Westmont with Brandon Tatch getting the save.
The Silverswords return to action Tuesday against in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University, the first of four meetings, at Hans L'Orange Field in Waipahu. First pitch is 5 p.m.
