LA MIRADA, Calif. – The Chaminade University baseball team concluded their final mainland road trip of the season Saturday by splitting the second doubleheader against Biola University at Eagles Diamond.
Taylor Ayala (Bountiful, Utah/Salt Lake CC/Woods Cross HS) drove in four total runs while
Chris Mata (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/South Mountain CC/Maui HS) continued his torrent stretch at the plate with a 6-for-9 afternoon and another four RBI to help the Silverswords win the third game of the series by a 9-5 count.
The Eagles rallied from a one-run deficit in the sixth inning to win the finale, 7-5, and take the series, three-games-to-one.
The Silverswords, who went 3-5 on their final trip to Southern California, is 10-34 overall and 8-30 in the Pacific West Conference. Biola is 21-23 and 17-19 in the conference.
Game 1: CUH 9, BU 5
Cameron Breeze's (Temecula, Calif./San Diego City College/Paloma Valley HS) RBI in the top of the first inning was Chaminade's first run. After Biola countered with two in the bottom of the frame, Ayala tied it in the next half-inning with a run-scoring single.
The 'Swords plated the go-ahead two runs in the third on an RBI double by
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) followed by
Bode Poler (Montesano, Wash./Gonzaga University/Montesano HS) whose infield single made it 4-2.
CUH tacked on with an RBI single by Mata in the fourth to increase their lead to 5-2 then broke the game open with a four-run fifth on Ayala's base-loaded walk followed by a bases-clearing, three-RBI double by Mata to increase the lead to 9-2.
Jacob Petersen (Sammamish, Wash./Everett CC/Skyline HS), who was brilliant coming out of the bullpen in late-game situations on the road trip with four consecutive perfect innings, got his first start of the season and continued to excel. The junior righty scattered 11 hits in six innings, allowing three runs with three strikeouts to improve to 3-2.
Kyle Seo (Sacramento, Calif./Sacramento City College/Inderkum HS) went the final three, allowing two runs on five hits.
Mata had four hits while
Trysten Mooney (Helena, Mont./Wenatchee Valley College/Capital HS) and Ayala each added two more base knocks in Chaminade's 13-hit attack. Mata drove in four while Pole two.
Luke Ballantyne was charged with the loss.
Game 2: BU 7, CUH 5
Down 3-0 after three frames, the 'Swords got back into the game in the fourth on an RBI from Ayala. He later came around to score on an error, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
In the top of the sixth of the scheduled seven-inning contest, Poler drove in pinch-runner
Brayden Braga (San Ramon, Calif./Dougherty Valley) who scored the tying run. Poler put the Silverswords up, 4-2, on
Caleb Wagner's (Menifee, Calif./Mesa) pinch-hit single.
However, the Eagles responded in their half of the sixth on a go-ahead two-run triple by Jonny Tewinkle, with insurance RBIs from Oscar Knapp and Kyle Rogers.
Down to their final three outs, Mata, Mooney and Fujii led off the seventh with singles to load the bases with no outs. However, Ayala's RBI groundout would be the only run the 'Swords could muster when the final out was recorded, although they did have the tying run on base.
Mata raised his average to .417 while his two hits in the nightcap was his fourth straight multi-hit game. He also has multiple base knocks in six of his last seven games. Mata also moved from center field to the mound to throw the final inning, although he ended up taking the loss.
Fujii, Breeze and Poler also had two hits each has Chaminade had 13 base knocks in the game while Ayala had two RBI.
Ryan Shimabukuro (El Cerrito, Calif./College of Marin/Saint Mary's College HS) threw one inning as the starter while
Tyler Geivet (Aliso Viejo, Calif./Aliso Niguel) went the next four innings, allowing one run on three hits and two Ks.
Blake Wentz got the win in relief, tossing the game's final two innings.
The Silverswords return home and will face in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University on Wednesday in the final game of their four-game season series. First pitch at Hans L'Orange Field is at 5:30 p.m.
