MORAGA, Calif. >> Matt LoCoco came into Friday’s game hitting just .174. The beauty of the early season? You can fix that in a hurry.
LoCoco went 4-for-6, including a three-run homer, to help lead Hawaii to an 11-3 rout of the University of San Francisco at St. Mary’s College. The Rainbow Warriors showed no ill effects of a 10 a.m. local start — the time and location changes were necessary because USF’s stadium renovation project isn’t finished yet.
Game two of the three-game series is today at noon Hawaii time.
LoCoco finished the day hitting .276. He grew up nearby in Santa Rosa and his parents and girlfriend were in attendance.
“I think it was one of those baseball things,” LoCoco said. “I felt like I’ve been swinging the bat well but the ball was just finding people, but today it just found some holes.”
Said Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso, “I’m glad because he had a couple of triples and a home run last weekend but wasn’t getting on base like we know he’s capable of. You can’t read too much in the early season. He was kind of the story of the game.”
The home run capped an eight-run fifth inning in which the Rainbow Warriors (3-4) turned a 2-1 deficit into a big lead. LoCoco actually flied out to start the inning. However, Eric Ramirez doubled in a run to tie the game at 2. Alex Fitchett followed with a double to put Hawaii in front.
“I felt like I’ve been swinging the bat well but the ball was just finding people, but today it just found some holes.” – Matt LoCoco, UH baseball player
Dons starter Anthony Shew was chased after walking Jonathan Weeks to load the bases with the score 4-2. Kekai Rios singled in two runs off of Thomas Ponticelli and LoCoco followed with his blast to right field.
“I was expecting a fastball and I just wanted to take a good swing on it and drive something,” LoCoco said.
It was the first eight-run inning in two years for the Rainbow Warriors, who have only scored eight runs total in two of their last 28 games.
From there, it was up to starter Brendan Hornung to hold the fort. He had struggled a bit in the early innings but settled down to go seven, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts. He threw 103 pitches and is the first Hawaii starter to go seven this season.
“We’ve seen him for a couple of outings in a row now just trying to do too much early,” Trapasso said. “He was struggling early, just throwing his secondary pitches to contact. Once he got the lead, he relaxed, throwing all of his pitches. It was good to get him extended. That’s the biggest focal point right now and the next couple of weekends, to get our starters 100 (pitches) strong.”
Said Hornung, “My changeup was kind of off early and once we got the lead, I just started going after it.”
Hornung is now 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA.
Rios, who has been filling in at catcher for the injured Chayce Ka’aua (broken finger), knocked in the first three runs of his collegiate career.
“He’s asked to do a lot as a freshman,” Trapasso said. “To play every day. All we focus on with him is just the defense, just handling the pitchers — receiving and blocking. That’s all we’re worried about. So anything we get out of him offensively is a plus.”
San Francisco (0-7) has been struggling so far this season, especially on the mound. The Dons now have a team ERA of 7.60. Shew is their top returning pitcher. He made his first start on Friday coming off of a sore arm — he was charged with seven earned runs in 42⁄3 innings.
“We need some confidence,” USF coach Nino Giarrantano said. “We need someone to go out there and pitch. We’ve been getting hit pretty hard. We’ve been giving up a lot of runs. We’re gonna have to find it. I thought today was going to be a great day with Shew going out there and doing his thing and we would gain some confidence.”
HAWAII 11, SAN FRANCISCO 3
| RAINBOW WARRIORS |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
BB |
SO |
| LoCoco cf |
6 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Sheldon-Collins ss |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Ramirez 1b |
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Fitchett rf |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
| Baldwin lf |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Sawelson dh |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Rojas 2b |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Weeks 3b |
3 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| Rios c |
5 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| TOTALS |
40 |
11 |
16 |
11 |
4 |
3 |
|
| DONS |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
BB |
SO |
| Harrison lf |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Giarratano ss |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Miroglio |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| Ramirez Jr. 1b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Warkentin 1b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| James 3b |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Valley dh |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Helland 2b |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Ping 2b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Puskarich ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Bozett rf |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Norman cf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Bate ph |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Sinatro cf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| TOTALS |
33 |
3 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
| Hawaii (3-4) |
000 |
180 |
200 |
— |
11 |
16 |
2 |
| San Francisco (0-7) |
001 |
100 |
100 |
— |
3 |
8 |
2 |
E—Sheldon-Collins 2; Helland; Bate. DP—Hawaii 1; San Fransisco 1. LOB—Hawaii 10. San Fransisco 10. 2B—Ramirez; Fitchett; Rojas; Helland. 3B—none. HR—LoCoco. SH—Sheldon-Collins; Rojas; Norman; Ramirez Jr. SB—LoCoco; Baldwin; Bruce; Valley
| Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
| Hornung (W, 1-2) |
7 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| Culp |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| San Fransisco |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
| Shew (L, 0-1) |
42/3 |
9 |
7 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
| Ponticelli |
41/3 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
HBP—by Hornung (Miroglio); by Ponticelli (Fitchett). PB—Miroglio. Umpires—(Plate): Kendall Snyder. (First): Sid Aguilar. (Third): Greg Charles. T—2:38. A—100.
