In the best-case scenario, you always want to go out winners and the University of Hawaii at Hilo baseball team did just that on Senior Sunday, closing out the season with a well-played 3-1 victory over Hawaii Pacific, following a 4-0 loss in the first game of a doubleheader at Wong Stadium.
In the best-case scenario, you always want to go out winners and the University of Hawaii at Hilo baseball team did just that on Senior Sunday, closing out the season with a well-played 3-1 victory over Hawaii Pacific, following a 4-0 loss in the first game of a doubleheader at Wong Stadium.
This is a team built on “Little Ball” principles and they played the seven-inning game in near perfect fashion behind senior Jordan Kumasaka (2-3), who went 6 1/3 innings, allowing only five singles and a double to wind up his UHH career.
But the win came with some outstanding execution of coach Kallen Miyataki’s approach with a team that wasn’t big on the long ball all season.
Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, Michael Jenkerson led off with a walk, was bunted over to second by Jonathan Segovia and got to third and had to hold there on Phil Steering’s single. It was first and third, one out and they needed a run, somehow.
“I took a chance,” said Miyataki, “but I explained to them all ahead of time, this is what we’re going to, we’re going to put things in motion and try to score. I told them I had confidence in them that they could make it happen.”
The confidence was well-placed. Designated hitter Jacob Grijalva dropped down a bunt that left starting HPU pitcher Matthew Gunter no choice but to throw to first for the out, allowing Jenkerson to score and tie the game.
It came easier in the fifth when walks to Nate Green and Edison Sakata, around two bunts, had runners on base for Jenkerson who drove a single to center field, the ball was bobbled and both runners scored.
“When we were on the road, we had some serious conversations about what we needed to do to be more productive, to get some more wins,” said outgoing senior catcher Sean Nearhoof, “you saw the results of that in this series.”
The Vulcans (9-33 and 8-26 in the Pacific West Conference), split the series with HPU (30-20, 18-18) and went away from a rough season with an inkling of how to make strides going forward.
“We’re are development program, it’s who we are,” Miyataki said, “but we have some people here who believe in what we’re doing, believe in each other, and when you have that, you have a chance to grow. I’m excited about the future.”
Kumasaka ended on a high note, with a nine-inning win two weeks earlier against Holy Names, and this victory that seemed to mean much more than just another win.
“I wanted this really bad,” Kumasaka said, “I looked forward to it all week in hopes I would get to start. I’m just sorry it’s over, despite the struggles we had, this is a great bunch of people, a great coaching staff, I’m going to remember all of them and this game for as long as I live.”
Nearhoof, who plans to be a police officer back in California, might have summed it all up best for the Vulcans.
“Out of everything, now that it’s over, the things that will stick with me as lasting memories are the way we stayed together, the way we battled and wouldn’t quit,” he said. “But thing I will never forget is the community here that supported us, the Hilo community taught me what ohana means, they showed it to me and that’s something I’ll take with me the rest of my life.”
HPU 4, UHH 0: Senior Brandon Van Stone (5-2), tossed a one-hitter at the Vulcans and faced just 29 batters in the 9-inning victory.
The Vulcans tried to manufacture a run in the fifth inning to break up a scoreless game when designated hitter Edwin Stanberry led off with base on balls, then moved up on Nearhoof’s infield out and Segovia’s single moved Stanberry to third, but the inning came to close on a double play.
The Sharks scored twice in the top of the sixth on two doubles, a single and a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead, then added one more in the seventh when Austin Inabata single and was doubled in by Tanner Marty.
Eric Vega (0-9) went 6 1/3 innings and allowed the three runs.