WAIPAHU, O'ahu, Hawai'i – The Chaminade University baseball team concluded their four-game series against Fresno Pacific University on Sunday with an 11-0, seven-inning defeat at Hans L'Orange Field.
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) had two of the Silverswords' five hits on the afternoon while
Chris Mata (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/South Mountain CC/Maui HS) extended his hitting streak to a school-record 17 straight with a fifth-inning single.
The Sunbirds, who swept the series, improved to 19-15 and 14-8 in the Pacific West Conference. The 'Swords fell to 7-26 with a conference mark of 5-23 in the final meeting between the two teams as members of the PacWest. Fresno Pacific is moving to the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) this fall.
Chaminade spotted FPU two first-inning runs and another in the second to stay within arms-length with a 3-0 deficit.
However, the Sunbirds scored eight runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to put the game under the 10-run-rule. The 'Swords did demonstrate good defensive presence, twice catching Sunbird runners trying to stretch singles into extra bases with inning-ending putouts in the fifth and seventh.
After coming up empty in his first two at-bats, Mata dropped a blooper in shallow right-center to lead off the fifth, extending his record hit streak.
Holden Hungerford (Downey, Calif./Cerritos College/Warren HS) took the loss while
Trysten Mooney (Helena, Mont./Wenatchee Valley College/Capital HS) and
Aydan Lobetos (Ewa Beach, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama) had the Silverswords' other two hits on the afternoon.
Matt Bettencourt went the distance to pick up the win and, after allowing four hits in the first three frames, gave up just the Mata fifth-inning single in the final four innings.
After a busy stretch that saw them play 13 games since March 15, the Silverswords will get a much-needed break. They will have seven days off before returning to action on Monday, April 6 with a PacWest doubleheader against in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University at Hans L'Orange Field starting at 2 p.m.
