By KEVIN JAKAHI
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Hawaii lost a late lead and fell to No. 8 Houston 8-6 at the Houston College Classic on Sunday at Minute Maid Park, but can at least take comfort that JJ Kitaoka’s bat is heating up.
The 2013 Konawaena graduate and freshman second baseman batted 2 for 4 with two RBIs to lead the Rainbow Warriors (6-10), who held a 5-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning.
The Cougars (9-7) scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth, and delivered the loss to Quintin Torres-Costa, a 2012 Waiakea, graduate, who went an inning and allowed two runs.
UH freshman catcher Chayce Kaaua, a 2013 Hilo graduate, batted 1 for 5 with an RBI and run scored.
By his senior year at Konawaena, JJ Kitaoka’s hitting pulled ahead of his pitching, a reason he was named to the All-BIIF Division II first team at second base.
After a redshirt year at Hawaii, Kitaoka had a his first big hit on Saturday at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros.
Kitaoka cranked a two-out, bases-clearing double in the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough and Nebraska held off UH 4-3.
Kaaua batted 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Tyler Brashears took a hard-luck loss with seven innings of two-run ball; both runs were unearned.
UHH softball
The Vuls (12-7, 7-2 PacWest) host Dixie State (17-5, 8-0) in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Monday at their school field.
UHH took two of three from Azusa Pacific in a rain-shortened series over the weekend.
Vanessa Salinas (7-4, 1.84 ERA) and Danielle Wilson (5-3, 3.66) have pitched every inning so far for the Vuls.
Colleen Aubrey leads the team in hitting with a hefty .441 batting average. She is followed by Wilson (.375), Danielle Pulido (.333), and Salinas (.326).
The Red Storm to beware is senior Michelle Duncan (10-0 with a 0.94 ERA).
