HONOLULU – Back as the home team and batting in the bottom of the scoreboard for the first time since March 29, the Chaminade University baseball opened their final series of the season Saturday with a split of the University of Hawai'i Hilo at Les Murakami Stadium on the University of Hawai'i Manoa campus.
The Silverswords rallied for a 10-6 win in the opener but dropped the seven-inning nightcap, 4-0.
Senior shortstop
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) had base hits in both contests to open his final series while
Chris Mata (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/South Mountain CC/Maui HS) also had hits in both, extending his hitting streak to 10 straight games.
Of the 20 total runs in the twin bill, 15 were unearned.
The 'Swords are 11-36 and 9-32 in the Pacific West Conference while the Vulcans are 14-26 and 13-23 in the conference.
Game 1: CUH 10, UHH 6
The Silverswords scored three times in the second on consecutive RBI base hits from
Caleb Kim (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Christian Academy),
Caleb Wagner (Menifee, Calif./Mesa) and
Alex Hamada (Aliso Niguel, Calif./Aliso Niguel).
After UH Hilo rallied with two in the third then posted a crooked number in the fifth with four runs to take a 6-3 lead. All four were unearned.
But Chaminade answered in the home half of the fifth. Fujii's two-run single was followed by the game-tying sacrifice fly from
Cameron Breeze (Temecula, Calif./San Diego City College/Paloma Valley HS). The 'Swords were on the receiving end of good fortune when the UH Hilo right fielder dropped what should have been the third out with the error allowing Fujii to score the go-ahead run.
CUH added insurance runs on a
Trysten Mooney (Helena, Mont./Wenatchee Valley College/Capital HS) RBI hit in the sixth and in the next frame, Breeze scampered home on a wild pitch followed by Kim's second RBI of the game, giving the Silverswords a 10-6 cushion.
Reliever
Ryan Kepple (Dana Point, Calif./Saddleback College/Capistrano Valley Christian HS) helped close the door, retiring 12 of the 14 Vulcans he faced.
Jacob Petersen (Sammamish, Wash./Everett CC/Skyline HS) went the first five innings, scattering eight hits, allowing six runs, three earned, with six strikeouts to pick up his team-leading fourth win of the season. Kepple went the final four innings to pick up his first save.
Kim had two hits and two RBI, his fifth multi-RBI game this season. The 'Swords had 10 hits in the series opener and eight in the starting lineup card had at least one hit.
Devin Hayashi was charged with the loss.
Game 2: UHH 4, CUH 0
All four of the Vulcans' runs came in the first two innings; one in the first and three in the second. Single errors in both frames resulted in all four being unearned.
Starter
Brennen Panis (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Aiea) managed to settle down after the second inning with three scoreless frames afterwards, aided by double plays in the fourth and fifth.
However, Chaminade wasn't able to generate enough traffic in the latter innings to get on the scoreboard.
The Silverswords were held to three hits from Mata, Fujii and the last being from
Ryden Toyama (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Baptist Academy) in the fifth. Mata's single, which led off the game, not only gave him his second double-digit hit streak this season – his 17-game streak is a school record – but he has hits in 31 of his 39 games.
Panis suffered the hard-luck loss while his counterpart, Brandon Bollerer, went the distance to pick up the win.
The Silverswords will finish the season Sunday with their final doubleheader against the Vulcans at Les Murakami Stadium starting at 12 p.m.
At the conclusion of the seven-inning nightcap, the seven seniors will be honored; Fujii, Mooney,
Hunter Belmodis (Waipahu, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Southern Oregon CC/University HS),
Harrison Clark (Snoqualmie, Wash./Bellevue College/Mount Si HS),
Chris Cody (Orange, Calif./Irvine Valley College/El Modena HS),
Alex Greb (Seattle/Wenatchee Valley College/Ballard HS),
Anthony O'Canas (Woodland, Calif./American River College/Woodland HS) and
Ryan Shimabukuro (El Cerrito, Calif./College of Marin/Saint Mary's College HS).
