’Bows win to even series against New Mexico

Pinch hitter Alex Sawelson singled home Marcus Doi with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning and Hawaii evened the series against New Mexico with a 4-3 victory on Saturday night.

What was left of a Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 2,513 saw Hawaii rally after giving up two runs in the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings.

Doi, who was 2-for-3 with a walk, led off the 11th with a double and moved to third on Johnny Weeks’ grounder to second.

Sawelson fouled off two tough two-strike pitches before singling into left field to end the game after 3 hours, 55 minutes.

“They understood that we played well enough to win, but we just had one guy who came in and struggled,” Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. “Huge credit to Alex Sawelson for the job he did. He was ready when called upon and came up big.”

Matt Valencia (1-0) struck out two in two shutout innings of relief to earn the win for the Rainbow Warriors (2-2).

Victor Sanchez (0-1), who got the save in Friday night’s win, took the loss for the Lobos (1-1).

The teams combined to use 11 pitchers.

Eric Ramirez singled home a run in the first inning and Matt LoCoco led off the fifth with a homer to give UH a 2-1 lead.

Jacob Sheldon-Collins, who drove in three runs on Friday night, singled home Weeks in the seventh inning for a 3-1 advantage.

The score remained that way until the ninth, when Hawaii allowed the first two Lobos to reach base on singles.

Kyle Mitchell came in for Isaac Friesen, who worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh, and got the next two outs, striking out Carl Stajduhar.

Casey Ryan entered with runners on second and third and his first two throws were a passed ball and a wild pitch, allowing both runs to score and tie the game.

“You’ve got to be able to play all nine innings,” Trapasso said. “We felt Casey was a good matchup, but he came in over-amped.”

LoCoco, who also has two triples this year, blasted an 0-1 offering from New Mexico starter Tyler Stevens over the wall in right field to give UH its first lead of the series in the fifth.

Stevens struck out the final two in the inning before leaving after five innings, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and a career-high five walks.

The first two innings took close to an hour as both pitchers struggled to start the game.

Kyle Von Ruden needed 31 pitches to get through the first inning, giving up a two-out RBI single to freshman Jared Mang.

The Lobos had three hits in the inning and loaded the bases with a walk, but couldn’t bring in another run.

Hawaii answered with a run on Ramirez’s single to left to score LoCoco, who opened the frame with an eight-pitch walk.

The teams combined to leave nine runners on base through two before both starters settled down.

Von Ruden managed to get through six innings without allowing another run. He scattered six hits and three walks but got four big strikeouts and held UNM 1-for-5 with running in scoring position.

The series continues today at 1:05 p.m. with right-hander Josh Pigg making his first career start for the ’Bows.

Hawaii 5, Alabama-Birmingham 4

E—Peterson; Morse; Jones. DP—Hawaii 2. LOB—UAB 11; Hawaii 13. 2B—Schalk; Williams. HR—Lau; Flores. HBP—Hurley. SH—Schalk; Peterson; Aliviado. SB—Gum; Ventimilia; Hurley.

WP—Cooper. HBP—by Lowery (Hurley).

Umpires—(Plate): Carl Coles. (First): William VanRaaphorst. (Third): Frank Pflugradt. T—3:10. A—2,513.