Cal Poly takes control to beat ‘Bows

The Hawaii baseball team’s wildly pitched start spiraled into a 12-5 loss to Cal Poly today at Baggett Stadium in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

A crowd announced at 2,892 saw the Mustangs rebound from Friday’s 4-2 setback to remain atop the Big West at 13-1 (24-9 overall). First pitch is 10 a.m. for the finale of this three-game series Sunday.

In falling to 24-9 and 10-7 in the Big West, the ’Bows struggled from Liam O’Brien’s first pitch. O’Brien threw one strike in his first 13 pitches to load the bases with no outs in the first. After going 2-1 on cleanup hitter Jack Collins, UH head coach Rich Hill made his second visit to the mound, signaling O’Brien’s exit.

Sebastian Gonzalez, who had not allowed an earned run in 16 innings and five games since moving to the bullpen, completed the walk to Collins to force in the Mustangs’ first run. By rule, Collins’ walk was credited to O’Brien. Casey Murray’s sacrifice fly, and run-scoring singles from Nate Castellon and Cam Hoiland capped the Mustangs’ four-run first inning. The Mustangs’ first-inning runs were all charged to O’Brien.

“It’s been a work in progress,” Hill said. “They scored some runs without a hit.”

The ’Bows closed to 4-2 on Jordan Donahue’s run-scoring single in the second inning and Itsuki Takemoto’s sacrifice fly in the third.

But Castellon’s RBI double made it 5-2 in the bottom of the third, Hoiland belted a solo homer in the sixth, and the Mustangs moved out of reach with a five-run seventh.

“They kept putting it on us all day,” Hill said. “Double-digit hits. I thought their relief guy ended up being pretty good.”

Chris Downs, who replaced starter Josh Volmerding with two outs in the fifth, allowed three hits and two runs in 3 1/3 innings to improve to 4-0.

Hill also praised Gonzalez, who pitched six innings of relief, allowing three runs. “He had his wisdom tooth pulled on Wednesday, and he came in and threw close to 90 pitches,” Hill said. “Pretty good job by him.”