WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University baseball team opened their four-game series against Fresno Pacific University on Friday with a 13-12 hitting spree loss that went 11 innings at Hans L'Orange Field.
The teams combined for 32 hits and 25 stranded runners.
Chris Mata (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/South Mountain CC/Maui HS) went 4-for-6 at the plate, extending his hitting streak to 14 straight – one shy the program record – while
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) and
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) both homered with the latter finishing a double shy of the cycle. Both Fujii and Lobetos finished with three RBI.
The game took approximately four hours to complete, the longest uninterrupted contest in program history, and the second-longest in total duration, trailing only the 4-hour, 55-minute contest against Azusa Pacific earlier this month that took two days to complete.
Chaminade (7-24, 5-20 Pacific West Conference) was stunned early when the Sunbirds (16-15, 11-8 PacWest) sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six times in the top of the first inning.
Following
Caleb Wagner's (Menifee, Calif./Mesa) two-run single in the third, Lobetos provided the swing that got the 'Swords right back, crushing his first home run of the season, a three-run blast that got them within 6-5.
FPU answered with two in the top of the fourth but CUH immediately responded in kind in the bottom of the frame. Mata had an RBI single then Fujii's sinking liner got past diving left fielder Chris Clement and rolled all the way to the fence for a triple, bringing in the tying runs at 8.
Cameron Breeze (Temecula, Calif./San Diego City College/Paloma Valley HS) put the Silverswords up for the first time with his RBI single. Chaminade made it 11-8 when
Bode Poler (Montesano, Wash./Gonzaga University/Montesano HS) drove in two more.
The rallies weren't done with the Sunbirds taking back the lead at 12-11 in the eighth. But Fujii led off the bottom of the inning, mashing his team-high-tying fourth jack, tying it at 12.
It remained 12-all until the top of the 11th when Fresno Pacific took the lead on a wild pitch. In the bottom of the frame, the 'Swords managed to get the tying and winning runs on base but the Sunbirds managed to get out of the jam to preserve the win.
After the rough first inning, starter
Anthony O'Canas (Woodland, Calif./American River College/Woodland HS) settled down over the next four innings, tossing 5 1/3 in getting a no decision.
Kyle Seo (Sacramento, Calif./Sacramento City College/Inderkum HS) was charged with the loss.
Titus Wheelock had four RBI for FPU while the win went to Cruz Cabral.
The teams meet Saturday afternoon in a seven-inning doubleheader. First pitch at Hans L'Orange Field is at 2 p.m. with the nightcap 30 minutes after the completion of the first game.
