Hawaii hits on a lineup that works against UC Riverside

A repeat order helped the University of Hawaii baseball team deliver a series-opening 4-2 victory over UC Riverside at the Riverside Sports Complex.

The Rainbow Warriors had used a different batting order in each of their first 30 games. But on Thursday, they duplicated a lineup from last week, with impressive results. Leadoff hitter Dylan Vchulek drove in two runs. Right fielder Alex Fitchett, who batted seventh, went 2-for-2 and scored three runs. The No. 8 batter, designated hitter Logan Poulsen, was 3-for-4.

“That’s a good lineup against right-handed pitching,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said in a telephone interview. “It’s a balanced lineup down there (in the bottom third). And with Logan in the 8 hole, he’s been swinging it well lately. It gives you a little pop in the bottom.”

Shortstop Dustin Demeter, who had two hits, scored the ’Bows’ first run on a bases-loaded wild pitch. Vchulek, who has reached base in all 31 games, singled home Fitchett to break a 1-all tie in the fifth. Fitchett scored the ’Bows’ final two runs on Johnny Weeks’ RBI groundout in the seventh and Vchulek’s sacrifice fly in the ninth.

That was enough support for Brendan Hornung, who threw his fourth complete game to improve to 5-2. Hornung admittedly was inconsistent with his out pitch — a biting split-fingered fastball — and he relinquished 11 hits. But he did not issue a walk and had three-ball counts on two of the 37 batters he faced. He also escaped two-on, one-out jams with a double play in the seventh and a strikeout in the eighth.

“I threw a split finger and the dude just swung and missed,” Hornung said.

In the ninth, the Highlanders closed to 4-2 and had runners at the corners with two outs. Hornung faced Mark Contreras — and his last chance.

“That was his last guy,” said Trapasso, who had reliever Dylan Thomas ready in the bullpen. “I was going to go Thomas to (on-deck hitter AJ) Sawyer. (Hornung) was at 116 pitches. I wasn’t going to let him go over 120. He got that fly ball to finish the game.”

Hornung said: “The big thing that helped me was all the family and support. It was an awesome crowd.”

About 25 family members and friends traveled the 13-mile distance from Hornung’s hometown of Corona, Calif.

Hornung also received backing from the UH defense. Last weekend, the ’Bows committed eight errors in two games. On Thursday, they did not make an error.

Hornung “was able to pound the (strike) zone,” Trapasso said. “When you don’t walk anybody and you don’t make any errors, you have a chance to win. They’re an aggressive offense, and he’s around the plate, so that makes for a lot of contact. It makes for more hits than you might see in a nine-inning complete game. The fact he was (throwing strikes) early in the count allowed him to stay out.”

The Highlanders reversed their projected pitching rotation, with No. 3 starter Richard Delgado in the opener and ace Alex Fagalde pitching on Saturday. Hard-throwing Ryan Lillie goes against UH’s Dominic DeMiero today.

“Our next two games we’ve got a couple really good pitchers we’ll be facing,” Trapasso said. “In Big West baseball, they’re all low-scoring games. We have to continue to pitch well and not make errors.”

BIG WEST BASEBALL

Thursday Hawaii 4, UC Riverside 2 Cal Poly 4, UC Davis 1 UC Santa Barbara 11, UC Irvine 3 Long Beach State 6, Cal State Northridge 2 x-Southern Cal 13, Cal State Fullerton 9 Today Hawaii at UC Riverside, 3 p.m. HST UC Irvine at UC Santa Barbara Cal Poly at UC Davis Cal State Northridge at Long Beach State x-Southern Cal at Cal State Fullerton x—non-conference game

HAWAII 4, UC RIVERSIDE 2

DP–Hawaii 1, UC Riverside 2. LOB—Hawaii 7, UC Riverside 8. 2B—Fitchett. 3B—Schultz. HBP—Fitchett. SH—Weeks. SF—Vchulek, Worden. CS—Vchulek. Shur pitched to 2 batters in the 7th WP—Delgado. HBP—by Breidenthal (Fitchett). Umpires—(Plate): Tony Norris. (First): Javier Navarro. (Third): Mike Lusky. T—2:36. A—196.