HILO, Hawaii – It's off to Hawaii this weekend for Jessup Baseball, as the PacWest season continues with the Warriors visiting Hilo for four games. Beginning with a classic pitcher's duel and ending with an offensive display, the Warriors put on a show on their first day in Hawaii that ultimately ends in a split with the Vulcans.
Jessup entered the weekend 5-3 in PacWest action, having dropped their first series a week ago against Biola.
Head coach
Trevor Paine looked to his ace, right-hander
Hailama Swartman, to set the tone in game one. The Honolulu native was up for the task, as he ensured his bullpen would be at maximum strength for the remainder of the series. Swartman went the distance, lasting eight innings in which he allowed three runs on eight hits. He issued no free passes and struck out seven.
Swartman's eight innings of work established a new career high. He also becomes the first Jessup starting pitcher to finish the eighth inning since the 2019 season.
Opposing Swartman was Hilo's Logan Groff. Groff spun a gem of his own as he held the Warriors scoreless over seven innings of work in which Jessup managed just one hit.
Groff's run support came early, thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Arthur Soto in the top of the second. The Vulcans wouldn't need any more after that, but they managed to add an insurance run with an RBI triple in the fifth.
Hilo went to the bullpen in the eighth, turning to John Navarro, who produced a scoreless frame. The Vulcans then turned the ball to Orlando Leon Jr. in the ninth for the save, and with the Warriors three outs away from a fourth consecutive loss, the time was now to produce a comeback.
The Warriors seemed up for the fight.
Back-to-back singles from
Drew Andrews and
Kayde Iranon started the rally, and then a
Gabe Harris walk loaded the bases with still nobody out. A mound visit seemed to settle down Leon, who produced a fly ball too shallow for Andrews to tag up. The next batter,
Jack Grant, ended the shutout with a sacrifice fly, plating Andrews. But after another walk loaded the bases once again, a ground out stranded them all, bringing to an end the comeback, and the game.
Paine then handed the ball to his game two starter,
Diego Chavez, tasked with ending the losing skid and securing a Friday split.
Chavez seemed up for the task, as he too ate up his share of innings, logging five frames before turning the ball to the bullpen. Chavez struck out six in his outing while allowing two runs on five hits.
The Vulcans were again the first to find the scoreboard, as a run in the fourth put Jessup behind. But the Jessup offense was up for the task, as
Cody Antone and
Rudy Rodriguez raced around the bases in the fifth to score on what was scored an error on a hard-hit ball by
Tony Otis. The 2-1 lead was short-lived, however, as a solo home run in the bottom half of the fifth leveled things at two.
Into the sixth, the Warriors again were up for the task of scoring. After Harris walked to lead off the inning, Iranon's double to left field plated Harris from first to give Jessup the lead. Grant then added a double of his own, driving in Iranon to double Jessup's advantage. The Warriors then started to pile it on. A bases-loaded walk gave Antone an RBI, and then Otis cashed in with another hard-hit ball, this time a single that plated two.
The offensive onslaught continued in the sixth, with five more runs being driven in off the bats of Iranon, Grant, Rodriguez, and Otis. Grant did so with his second double of the game, and Otis added a double to push his RBI count to four.
The Warriors and Vulcans will return to Francis Wong Stadium on Saturday afternoon as the series concludes with its second doubleheader. The first pitch is slated for 5 p.m. (PST), and can be streamed on the PacWest Network
HERE.
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Jessup University is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).
