Jones, relievers help Northeastern cool off Hawaii’s bats

Northeastern’s crooked numbers in the middle innings and bending pitches from lefty starter Will Jones helped the Huskies to a 7-1 victory over Hawaii on Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium.

The visitors from Boston rallied for two runs in the sixth to take the lead and three more in the seventh on their way to tying the four-game series at UH at a game apiece.

A turnstile crowd announced at 2,943 saw the Rainbow Warriors get a gritty start from Itsuki Takemoto, but the Huskies’ 10 hits included three solo home runs, with two coming from No. 9 batter Harrison Feinberg. On the mound for the Northeastern, Jones and three relievers cooled off the ’Bows bats that produced 17 hits in UH’s 11-5 series-opening win Friday.

The ’Bows managed just six hits, all singles. Jared Quandt got three of them.

Takemoto deserved a better fate than falling to 1-2 after allowing five hits and a walk in 52⁄3 innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

“It’s the best I’ve seen him in a Hawaii uniform,” Rainbows coach Rich Hill said. “He was brilliant. He’s hitting 95 (mph) with the fastball and mixing in his other pitches extremely well.”

Six UH relievers allowed four runs on five hits.

Takemoto’s 83 pitches included a 15-pitch walk off Justin Bosland to start the third inning. Northeastern threatened to extend its lead, but centerfielder Matthew Miura made an impressive catch of a drive by Cam Maldonado, hanging onto the ball after crashing into the fence at the deepest part of the park.

Takemoto left the game with one out in the sixth and UH trailing 2-1.

Will Fosberg hit a solo home run over the fence in right-center to give Northeastern a 1-0 lead in the second. It was Fosberg’s first hit of the season; he had struck out in four of his first eight at-bats.

The Huskies (4-3) hit three times as many home runs Saturday as the Warriors (8-2) have had all season.

“When it happens, it happens,” Quandt said of home runs. “The most important thing is getting on base any way you can, and we focus on being the best at getting on base as much as we can.”

Jones, who improved to 3-0, entered the game without allowing an earned run in his first 11 innings of the season. He extended that string to 142⁄3, before UH scored to tie it in the fourth.

Xavier Lancaster walked and stole second and third. He scored on Quandt’s two-out, two-strike single up the middle and off the glove of diving shortstop Jack Goodman.

Quandt also got UH’s first hit. He beat out Goodman’s throw from deep in the hole in the second. He also hit a clean single to center in the ninth, as did Kamana Nahaku. But both were left on base, the last two of UH’s 10 for the game.

Jones struck out four and walked three. He threw 84 pitches, with 54 being strikes. After allowing the one run his ERA is now 0.56.

“He was really good with the backdoor curve,” Quandt said.

Konnor Palmeira and Shunsuke Sakaino had Hawaii’s other hits.

Feinberg had three hits for Northeastern and Alex Lane added two.

The series continues today at 1:05 p.m.

“The best word in baseball is tomorrow,” Hill said.