Leaving it all on Hardt Field’s soon-to-be-replaced grass surface, the Hawaii baseball team powered its way to Sunday’s 14-5 rout of Cal State Bakersfield on the Roadrunners’ campus.
“We treated it like the seventh game of the World Series, like we always do,” UH coach Rich Hill said. “Nothing really changes.”
The Rainbow Warriors scored five runs in the fifth inning and nine in the seventh en route to winning the final two of this three-game Big West series. They produced 14 of their season-high 17 hits in those two innings.
The ’Bows improved to 20-15 overall and 10-11 in the Big West, moving ahead of UC Irvine and into sixth place. The top five teams qualify for the Big West Tournament and a chance to earn the league’s accompanying berth in the NCAA Regionals.
Right fielder Ben Zeigler- Namoa and third baseman Tate Shimao each drove in four runs. First baseman Josh Martin, who transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College in August, smacked his first UH homer, a three-run shot over the fence in right-center. The first five hitters in the starting lineup went 11-for-25, scoring eight runs and driving in 12.
“We’ve had a little bit of a struggle scoring runs,” UH coach Rich Hill said. “That was a great feeling. Just like the old days. It feels great, especially the character of this group. After getting gut-punched on Friday night (in a 2-0 loss), as bad a loss as you can experience, to respond like this, very proud of the group.”
The ’Bows started co-aces Isaiah Magdaleno and Hekili Robello in the first two games of the series. Two third-game candidates — left-handed Grant Garman and right-handed Brody Martin-Grudielanek — were no longer starting options. Garman has developed into a situational reliever. Martin-Grudzielanek is now the ’Bows’ closer. Pitching coach Keith Zuniga recommended John Alkire II to make his first UH start after 14 relief appearances. In the previous four appearances, Alkire allowed five runs in four innings.
Alkire relinquished a hit and two walks in the first inning, prompting Hill to alert Garman to warm up.
“Maybe John saw Grant getting warm and said, ‘forget this, I’m not coming out,’” Hill said.
Alkire worked out of the jam, and did not allow a hit the rest of his outing. Alkire exited with the bases loaded and a 5-0 lead with one out in the fifth, having gone through the Roadrunners’ batting order twice.
Garman surrendered a sacrifice fly and allowed a second CSUB run when Elgin Bennett was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Tsubasa Tomii, the third of five UH pitchers, induced shortstop Eli Pelayo to fly out to left field to end the fifth-inning threat.
“And then he just cruised,” Hill said of Tomii, who went 3 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the victory. “His past four outings have been lights out.”
In the past nine appearances, Tomii has allowed two runs in 15 innings.
The ’Bows took a 5-0 lead in the fifth inning. Defying a defensive shift on the right side, left-handed Zeigler-Namoa grounded an infield single up the middle to bring home Jake Redding.
“Ben just touched it ugly,” Hill said. “These guys want to shift, and that’s a risky way to play defense. That bit them a little bit. That got us on the board.”
Taylor Takata then scored on a wild pitch. Shimao followed with a two-run double. Draven Nushida added an RBI single.
The ’Bows amassed nine runs in the seventh to move out of reach. Zeigler-Namoa’s two-run single and Martin’s three-run blast were the highlights.
UH continues the seven-game road trip with Tuesday’s meeting against No. 1-ranked UCLA.