HONOLULU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Hilo Baseball swept Sunday's doubleheader against Chaminade, 12-5 and 6-3, to take the four-game series with three wins in Pacific West Conference play at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa's Les Murakami Stadium.
The Vulcans rapped out a season-high 19 hits in the opener led by four hits each from Noah Nakaoka and Kolby Gushiken. Evan Merz and Braeden Mondeau each tallied three hits and Mark Fedro led with three RBI. Michael Bonenfant tossed 7.1 innings of relief giving up just three hits and one run while tallying up five strikeouts.
In Game 2, Mondeau and Ivor Brooks each had three hits as starting pitcher Noah Darnell surrendered just one earned run with seven strikeouts.
NOTES
- Game 1: Hawai'i Hilo 12 - Chaminade 5
- Chaminade took a one-run lead after scoring three runs in the second inning, but the Vulcans exploded for six unanswered runs on 11 hits through the next five innings.
- Colby Rafail collected seven putouts in right field.
- The Vulcans 19 hits are the most in a single game since totaling 23 against HPU in March 2023.
- Game 2: Hawai'i Hilo 6 - Chaminade 3 (7 inn.)
- Senior Joshua Fuentes made his first start of the season collecting two putouts in centerfield. Fuentes drove in the Vulcans first run of the game with a two-strike RBI double in the second inning.
- Mondeau batted 3 for 3 with a double and two RBI, bringing in the game-winning run on a RBI single in the top of the third.
- Logan Sanchez closed out the final inning on the pitching mound to record his fourth save of the season.
- Hawai'i Hilo: 16-26 Overall (15-23 PacWest)
- Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 11
- Current Conference Standing: No. 10
- Chaminade: 11-38 Overall (9-34 PacWest)
- Honolulu, Hawai'i
- Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 10
- Current Conference Standing: No. 11
UP NEXT
- Wednesday, April 29 (6:35 PM) at UH Manoa (Honolulu, Hawai'i)
- Friday, May 1 (3 PM + 6 PM) vs HPU (James "Jimmy" Correa Ballfield at Dr. Francis F.C. Wong Stadium)
- Saturday, May 2 (NOON + 3 PM) vs HPU (James "Jimmy" Correa Ballfield at Dr. Francis F.C. Wong Stadium)
PACWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS
The four-team 2026 PacWest Championships postseason tournament will be hosted by Westmont on May 6-8 in Santa Barbara, California. Clinched: Point Loma, Concordia. In Contention: HPU, Fresno Pacific, Jessup, Westmont, Biola. Eliminated: Azusa Pacific, Hawai'i Hilo, Menlo, Vanguard, Chaminade.
Hawai'i Hilo was voted No. 11 in the Pacific West Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Vulcans finished the 2025 regular season at No. 11 in the conference standings.
PACWEST HAWAI'I CHALLENGE
With Sunday's doubleheader sweep, Hawai'i Hilo earned four points in the Baseball section of the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge and now has six total points. HPU leads with eight points while Chaminade finishes with two points and will end with a final section score of one in third place.
Hawai'i Hilo had already wrapped up this year's overall challenge after the Men's Golf team repeated as four-time PacWest Champions earlier this week — marking the third consecutive year of winning the annual competition (fourth time in the last five years). The Vulcans currently have a final score of 21 points and are guaranteed at least two more points (one point for baseball and one point for softball) and will finish with a minimum final score of 23. A maximum of six points (three in each sport) is up for grabs but it still won't be enough for Chaminade (15) and HPU (16) to tie or overtake the top spot.
The year-long PacWest Hawai'i Challenge tracks head-to-head (Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Women's Volleyball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Softball, Baseball) and common conference event results (Women's Cross Country, Women's Tennis, Men's Golf) in equal sponsored sports between Hawai'i's three NCAA Division II schools. Full breakdown available at HiloAthletics.com/PWCHI.
