The predicted storm did not materialize, but the University of Hawaii baseball team provided the thunder in Thursday night’s 6-3 victory over Sacred Heart at Les Murakami Stadium.
The Rainbow Warriors pounded 13 hits, including Logan Pouelsen’s two-run homer, to win the opener of the four-game, inter-conference series.
The ’Bows, who hit .201 in their first two home series, had a breakout road trip last week during which they slammed five home runs in four games.
Down 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth on Thursday, the left-hitting Poulsen pulled a pitch from left-hander James Taubl over the right-field wall to tie it at 3.
“I was trying to stick to our approach of going the other way with a lefty, but I got a pitch I didn’t think I would get,” Pouelsen said of the change-up. “He hung it a little bit. I couldn’t take it, and just swung at it. I saw that it kept going. I said, ‘man, is Les going to hold this one?’ I said, ‘nope.’”
It was the ’Bows’ first home run of the season at Murakami Stadium. Pouelsen was playing first base in place of Eric Ramirez, who is expected to sit out this series because of leg issues.
The ’Bows then loaded the bases when Marcus Doi singled, and Dylan Vchulek and Alex Fitchett reached after being struck by pitches. Ethan Lopez then singled to left, bringing home Doi to put the ’Bows ahead, 4-3. Vchulek was thrown out at the plate on the play.
The ’Bows added a run in the fifth the unconventional way. Josh Rojas was hit by a pitch, raced to third on Taubl’s errant pick-off throw, and scored on Johnny Weeks’ sacrifice fly to deep left.
“I was so proud of our guys for grinding it out all night,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “This was one of those games where neither team was playing perfect. There were plenty of mistakes to go around. But we grinded it out.”
Vchulek, who has solidified the lead-off role, was 3-for-4 and reached base on all five of his plate appearances. After going to first on a fielder’s choice, Vchulek stole second, continued to third when the throw sailed into center field, and scored on Dustin Demeter’s groundout.
Marcus Doi, who entered hitless in 14 at-bats this season, had two hits. Doi had been battling hamstring issues before earning Thursday’s start.
“That was huge,” Trapasso said. “We’re banged up right now.”
Outfielder/first baseman Adam Fogel, who usually hits well against left-handed pitching, was rested because of a hamstring injury.
Dominic DeMiero, who moved to the front of the rotation, earned the victory to improve to 3-0. He allowed nine hits and three runs in 52⁄3 innings. But he did not issue a walk, and threw first-strike pitches to 21 of 26 batters. But DeMiero complained of tightness in his left (throwing) shoulder and was removed as a precaution.
Matt Richardson pitched two innings of scoreless — and dramatic — relief. He allowed base runners at the corners in the seventh when Trapasso walked to the mound. Trapasso told Richardson: “You’ve got that deer-in-the-headlights look. You’ve been out there a couple times. This is unacceptable.”
Richardson then struck out cleanup hitter Keith Kleibart and induced Dan Schock to ground out to end the threat.
Patrick Martin got the final four outs for the save.
HAWAII 6, SACRED HEART 3 |
PIONEERs |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
BB |
SO |
Shaw ss |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Perry cf |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
Brown 2b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Klebart 1b |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Schock rf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
DeFilippo 3b |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Capozziello lf |
4 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Doyle c |
4 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Oliver pr |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Friar c |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Thibault dh |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
TOTALS |
38 |
3 |
11 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
RAINBOW WARRIORS |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
BB |
SO |
Vchulek cf |
4 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Demeter ss |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Rios c |
5 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Fitchett rf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Lopez dh |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Rojas 3b |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Weeks 2b |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Pouelsen 1b |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Doi lf |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
TOTALS |
34 |
6 |
13 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
|
Sacred Heart (5-7) |
020 |
100 |
000 |
— |
3 |
11 |
4 |
Hawaii (7-5) |
010 |
310 |
01x |
— |
6 |
13 |
1 |
E–DeFilippo, Friar, Schock, Taubl, Richardson. LOB—Sacred Heart 10, Hawaii 10. 2B–Capozziello 2. HR—Pouelsen. HBP—Fitchett, Rojas, Vchulek. SH—Demeter. SF—Weeks. SB–DeFilippo, Vchulek. |
Sacred Heart |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Taubl (L,1-2) |
6 |
10 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
Aldam |
2 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
HAWAII |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
DeMiero (W,3-0) |
52⁄3 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
Richardson |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
Martin (S,2) |
11⁄3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
HBP—by Taubl (Fitchett), by Taubl (Rojas), by Taubl (Vchulek). Umpires— |
(Plate): Ryan Bleiberg. (First): Bill Barnes. (Third): Bob Williams. T—2:48. A—768. |
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