The University of Hawaii baseball team brought back its past for “Legend’s Weekend.”
Then the Rainbow Warriors rallied for a 5-4 victory over Cal State Fullerton at Les Murakami Stadium.
An announced sellout crowd of 3,073 was on hand for the official unveiling of murals of three former ’Bows and the 1980 team on the outfield wall. The persistent Manoa mist and the Titans’ four-run seventh could not dampen the ’Bows’ mood.
Trailing 4-2 in the eighth, UH loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batsman. Michael Weisberg, the third Titans pitcher, was called for a balk, allowing Scotty Scott to score to close the ’Bows to 4-3. Two outs later, with the bases reloaded, freshman Bronson Rivera pulled a single to right to bring home DallasJ Duarte and Stone Miyao with the tying and go-ahead runs.
“I got a heater low and in, and I was just thinking, ‘just be on time for that heater,’ ” said Rivera, who went 2-for-3 as the designated hitter. “Fortunately, I got one and I was able to put a barrel on it.”
Duarte said: “Oh, my God, that’s my brother out there. He’s a stud. It’s only the beginning for that kid. He’s got big things ahead and I can’t wait to see where he ends up in the future.”
Buddie Pindel pitched a scoreless ninth for the save as the ’Bows evened the series at a victory apiece. The series finale begins at 1:05 p.m. today.
UH’s Blaze Koali‘i Pontes and CSUF’s Evan Yates were engaged in a pitching duel through five innings. But in the bottom of the sixth, UH catcher Duarte reached on a bunt single and Miyao followed with a towering homer to right-center. It was a display of power points and style points for Miyao, who wears pants hemmed over the knees with long socks and athletic tights.
Of his wardrobe, Miyao said, “I did it during the fall, and tried it out. It’s comfortable. I feel loose with it.” Of his second homer of the season, he said, “Coach (Rich Hill) gave me the green light on 3-0. I was hitting dead-right fastball, and I got it. It caught my bat, and it went.”
Hill said: “Another hunch. The statistics don’t say to do that, and we’re living in this era of statistics and analytics. When those flags are blowing out like that, and he’s a dead-red guy, so it made sense.”
But the Titans answered — loudly — in the top of the seventh. Jason Brandow launched an opposite-field drive that cleared the wall in right field. Brandow’s team-leading sixth homer cut the deficit to 2-1 and prompted Pontes’ exit. Dalton Renne, who had been effective as a reliever and starter, replaced Pontes.
After inducing the first two outs, Renne gave up a single to Jack Haley and then an RBI double to Caden Connor to tie it at 2. Pinch hitter Carter White’s single to center brought home Connor with the go-ahead run. White went to third on Austin Schell’s single — and UH coach Rich Hill went to the bullpen.
With Brendan Bobo in the batter’s box, Schell broke toward second. UH pitcher Tai Atkins held the ball, refusing to allow White to run home, as Schell eventually was allowed to take second. Bobo hit a hard grounder up the middle that shortstop Jordan Donahue was able to chase down as White scored. Schell continued running and was thrown out at the plate. Maybe. Replays showed Schell might have placed his left hand on the plate before being tagged.
“I tagged him out 100%,” Duarte said. “I told the boys, get ready to hit because he’s out, 100%.”