In Mike Trapasso’s 14 years as Hawaii baseball coach, he’s never gone undefeated on a road trip lasting more than a week.
The Rainbow Warriors are one win away from doing just that.
Hawaii’s five consecutive road wins match the longest streak since 2006 after Tyler Brashears and Quintin Torres-Costa pitched Hawaii to a 6-2 win over UC Riverside on Friday at the Riverside (Calif.) Sports Complex.
Johnny Weeks went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Alex Sawelson doubled, tripled and scored twice for the ‘Bows (20-26, 11-9), who are making a late-season charge up the Big West standings.
Hawaii clinched its fourth series win in conference to remain one game behind first-place Cal State Fullerton in the win column.
UH finishes conference play next week, hosting the Titans.
"That’s three games in a row where we’ve gone out there and given our pitchers a lead to work with," Trapasso said. "It’s a lot more comforting going out there pitching with a lead and focusing on throwing strike one."
Brashears (8-4) picked up his fourth straight win to tie Matt Sisto for the most wins by a UH pitcher in a single season since 2007.
He pitched into the eighth inning for the fifth time in his past six outings, allowing two runs on nine hits in 7 1⁄3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
"I was really impressed with Tyler today because his first three innings, he really did not have it," Trapasso said. "He was really struggling with his fastball command and he was tipping his pitches and we made the adjustment in the glove to counteract that, and as we’ve seen with him over his last three or four starts, he starts to settle in and finds his stuff the last couple of innings where he’s really good."
Torres-Costa replaced Brashears with two on and one out and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the eighth.
The sophomore left-hander hasn’t allowed a run since March 8, spanning a stretch of 21 innings over 13 appearances.
During that span, he has struck out 28 while allowing only nine hits.
"He’s on a great run right now and we just hope it continues for the next seven games," Trapasso said. "The big part obviously was coming out when you’ve got the tying run at the plate and striking out two in eight pitches."
UH scored three runs in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Stephen Ventimilia pulled a double down the left-field line and scored on the first of two errors by the Highlanders (13-34, 2-15).
Sawelson ripped an RBI triple to center and Eric Ramirez drove him in with a base hit for a 3-0 advantage.
Brashears, who had pitched 21 consecutive scoreless innings, gave up a run immediately. Leadoff man Edgar Morales walked, then went from first to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a groundout by Robby Whitt, who pulled UC Riverside within a run at 3-2 with an RBI double in the fifth inning.
Weeks, whose three hits were a career high, stretched UH’s lead to 4-2 with an RBI single in the sixth and Kaeo Aliviado doubled and scored in the seventh.
Sawelson led off the ninth with a double and scored on a wild pitch for the final margin.
Hawaii, which has scored at least six runs in four of its past five games, is 14-1 when reaching that mark this season.
Senior lefty Jarrett Arakawa (3-3, 3.63 ERA), who tossed six shutout innings against Long Beach State last week, will start Saturday’s 3 p.m. finale.
