IRVINE, Calif. - For the first time in program history, the Concordia University Irvine baseball team logged an eight-inning home victory via mercy rule by topping Chaminade 13-3 on Tuesday.

CUI followed that up with a tight victory in the series finale to go 3-1 in four games against the Silverswords in their first meetings as NCAA DII opponents.

This is the first year Chaminade brought back its baseball program since folding the program in 1981. The Golden Eagles capitalized to move into the top four in the PacWest standings.

Game 1: CUI 13, Chaminade 3 (8 innings)

Fresh off a five-hit game in the series opener on Monday, Michael Dixon smashed a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to get the Golden Eagles going. He finished 3-for-5 in Tuesday's matinee, with three runs scored and three RBI.

Third baseman Michael Mira helped get two teammates home on one gutsy play in the fourth. With Luke Glascoe and Cam Slessor in scoring position, CUI worked the suicide squeeze to perfection as Mira bunted the ball to the first base side and was thrown out at first. However TWO runners scored on the play as the speedy Slessor cam all the way around from second base to beat the throw home in impressive fashion.

Mira also added a sacrifice fly in his first at-bat, and a single later in the game. He finished with 3 RBI.

The last seven batters in the order all had at least one hit. Leadoff-hitter Haku Dudoit also scored three times.

Pitcher Riley O'Sullivan was solid as well on the mound. The senior right hander went 5.2 innings and struck out six while only allowing three runs and one walk. He scattered ten hits and struck out three batters in the second. He improved to 3-4 on the year with the victory.

Jake Covey entered in the sixth and promptly shut the door. The newly minted PacWest Pitcher of the Week was also named Regional Pitcher of the Week by the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on Tuesday before he pitched 2.1 scoreless innings. With the exception of walking one batter he mowed down the Silverswords by only facing eight Silverswords to get the final seven outs quickly.

The mercy rule was adopted by the PacWest Conference last spring and goes into effect when one team takes a 10-run lead after seven innings of play.  This is the first time in two seasons of that possibility coming in to play for CUI - either at home or on the road.

Game 2: CUI 4, Chaminade 3

Brett Finnell took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in arguably his best outing of the season.

He struck out the side in the top of the third inning and earned his first win of the year with a superb performance on the mound. He finished with seven strikeouts and worked around four walks in 5.1 innings.

Haku Dudoit supplied the go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the fourth.  Shane Wallace added a two-run homer over the right field wall that doubled the CUI lead to 4-0.

Chaminade pushed across three runs in the sixth but CUI closer Conor Meehan entered with one out in the sixth to quell the rebellion by the Silverswords. He struck out back-to-back batters to strand the tying run in scoring position before nailing down a five-out save with a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh.

Shortstop Isaiah Walz also made an impressive play on a ball in the hole to start the top of the seventh to help out Meehan and company.

Meehan now has seven saves this spring, which puts him Top 5 in the CUI record books for saves in a single season.

Tyler Mark holds the school record with 24 saves in the 2015 season.

CUI visits Azusa Pacific for a non-conference clash next Tuesday, April 9 at 5 p.m. CUI then hosts four pivotal games against Hawaii Pacific starting Friday, April 12 at 2 p.m.

CLICK HERE for the updated PacWest Baseball Standings

The Golden Eagles are vying with both the Cougars and Sharks for four spots in the upcoming PacWest Conference Tournament.

Point Loma looks like a lock to make the bracket, while PacWest newcomer Westmont is in first place but ineligible for postseason play due to making the transition from NAIA to the NCAA DII level.

CLICK HERE for the updated CUI Baseball Schedule