UH-Hilo’s back-end starting pitchers struggled and so did the defense in doubleheader losses, 5-1 and 6-0, to No. 6 Fresno Pacific on Thursday at Wong Stadium to conclude a four-game series.
UH-Hilo’s back-end starting pitchers struggled and so did the defense in doubleheader losses, 5-1 and 6-0, to No. 6 Fresno Pacific on Thursday at Wong Stadium to conclude a four-game series.
In Game 1, Jeremy Dela Cruz pitched 1 1/3 innings and surrendered five runs (two earned) on four hits to take the 5-1 loss. The Vuls made three errors behind him, which led to his three unearned runs.
UHH’s Devin Lee provided four innings of one-run relief, and Deric Valoroso finished strong in the seventh inning with three strikeouts.
Edison Sakata batted 2 for 2 to lead the Vuls, who finished with just five hits in the seven-inning game.
Sunbirds starter Wilson Ashford pitched six shutout innings for the win.
In Game 2, Eric Vega was tagged for four runs on eight hits in four innings in the 6-0 loss. UHH’s defense made two errors, but none led to unearned runs.
For the second straight game, the relief pitching was better than the Vuls starter. Chris Hubocan pitched two innings of one-run relief, and Jarin Kadooka closed with three scoreless innings.
Byron Freitas batted 2 for 3 and Keenan Nishioka went 2 for 4 with an RBI to lead UHH, which compiled 10 hits.
Jake Martines fired eight innings of one-run ball to pick up the win for Fresno Pacific, which took the series, 3-1.
In the series doubleheader opener on Wednesday, UHH’s Jordan Kumasaka and Jordan Kurokawa combined for 16 2/3 innings of four-run ball — a 2.16 ERA compared to Dela Cruz and Vega’s 9.00 ERA.
The Vuls (5-8, 3-5 PacWest) next host defending conference champion Dixie State in 4 p.m. doubleheaders on Tuesday and Wednesday at Wong.
UH baseball
The Rainbow Warriors defeated Baylor 2-1 at the Houston College Classic on Friday at Minute Maid Park.
UH catcher Chayce Kaaua, a 2013 Hilo graduate, batted 0 for 3, and second baseman JJ Kitaoka, a 2013 Konawaena graduate, went 0 for 4.
LJ Brewster pitched 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball to pick up the win for the Rainbow Warriors (6-8), and when he left his bullpen put the Bears (6-6) to sleep.
Josh Pigg entered in the seventh with one on, and left a lonely Bear at second after he recorded two pop-outs. Then, Matt Valencia and Cody Culp, who earned his third save, pitched an inning each to combine for 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
UH third baseman Alex Sawelson had a two-out RBI single in the second inning, and added another two-out RBI single in the fourth.
Sawelson batted 3 for 4 with two RBIs.
For the season, Kaaua is batting .250 (14 of 53) with seven RBIs in 13 games. Kitaoka is hitting .231 (6 of 26) with two RBIs in nine games. Both are redshirt freshmen.
UH redshirt sophomore left-hander Quintin Torres-Costa, a 2012 Waiakea graduate, is 0-2 with a 10.22 ERA in 12 1/3 innings.
The Rainbow Warriors play Nebraska on Saturday, and another hometown team in No. 8 Houston on Sunday to conclude the prestigious tournament.