Kyle Von Ruden won his third straight start and Hawaii scored all but one of its runs with two outs in an 8-5 win over UC Irvine tonight to clinch the series.
A season-high Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 2,750 saw Hawaii (13-14, 2-0 Big West) pile up 14 hits against the Anteaters (15-9, 0-2).
Johnny Weeks went 2-for-3 with a two-run single in the second inning and Chayce Ka’aua doubled home two runs in the seventh inning after UCI cut the deficit to one.
Kekai Rios followed with his third hit of the game to drive in Ka’aua for an 8-4 advantage.
Rios finished 3-for-4 and Eric Ramirez singled, scored twice and drove in a run.
All nine starters had at least one hit for Hawaii, which has won seven of nine.
Von Ruden (4-1) allowed four runs — three earned — on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts in seven innings to pick up the victory.
Shaun Vetrovec (2-3) allowed five runs — four earned — on seven hits in four innings to take the loss.
Hawaii will go for its third sweep in its last four BWC series dating back to last year in the finale on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines.
Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.