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A scheduled four-game series between the University of Hawaii baseball team and Hawaii Hilo was reduced to three when Friday’s opener was canceled due to inclement weather.
While Friday’s game will not be made up, the rest of the weekend schedule remains as originally scheduled, weather permitting. The Rainbow Warriors and Vulcans are scheduled to play a doubleheader today and a single game on Sunday, starting at 1:05 p.m. both days.
UH Hilo had just finished its infield warm-ups about a half-hour before the scheduled starting time when word of Friday’s cancellation circulated around Les Murakami Stadium.
UH coach Mike Trapasso said the radar forecast called for heavy rain close to first pitch and a downpour arrived at about 6:30 p.m.
“We knew it was going to hit us and it was going to be about game time,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said.
“The key was you don’t want to get your starting pitcher loose and he goes out there and throws 15 pitches and you’re suspending or postponing the game and he’s done for the weekend. I thought with conference starting next weekend we didn’t want to take any chances.
“It’s not easy to make a call like that when it’s not raining at the time, but looking at the Doppler and the impending weather you don’t want to take a chance.”
UH right-hander Aaron Davenport (1-0, 1.93 ERA) is scheduled to start the first game of today’s doubleheader, followed by Cade Halemanu (0-0, 4.70) in the second game. Senior Logan Pouelsen could make his season debut in a limited role on Sunday after missing the first two weekends with a tender arm. Freshman Austin Teixeira (2-0, 0.00) was originally slated to start the third game of the series.
UH Hilo was scheduled to start senior right-hander Brandyn Lee-Lehano in its season opener, followed by transfers Cameron Scudder and Jonathan Buhl.