Fogel, Ramirez lift UH over Fresno State in 10 innings

For the Hawaii baseball team, right fielder Adam Fogel and first baseman Eric Ramirez were the answers blowing in the wind.

Fogel drove in three runs, including a two-run triple in the 10th inning, and Ramirez added two RBIs and three standout defensive plays to lead the Rainbow Warriors to Friday’s 6-4 road victory over Fresno State at Bob Bennett Stadium.

“It was a good win for our guys,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said in a telephone interview. By winning the opener of the nonconference series, the ’Bows improved to 24-19. The Bulldogs fell to 27-22.

With strong winds and deep fly balls during batting practice, Trapasso recalled predicting, “it could be one of those games where the first team to 20 wins.”

Instead, the ’Bows received effective pitching from Jackson Rees, Kyle Hatton and Dylan Thomas. Rees allowed three runs in 62⁄3 innings, Hatton gave up one hit in 21⁄3 innings, and Thomas pitched a scoreless 10th inning for his 13th save.

“It was a really good game, a really good college game,” Trapasso said. “Offensively, I thought we were outstanding with the at-bats we had against a good pitcher with great numbers.”

Fresno State’s Edgar Gonzalez entered with a 7-2 record, an average of 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings, and a fastball in the mid-90s.

Gonzalez struck out eight in 62⁄3 innings, but yielded a two-run double to Ramirez in the second and Maaki Yamazaki’s run-scoring single in the fifth. Ramirez was back in the lineup after emerging from a prolonged hitting slump.

“When Eric is in the lineup and swinging it well, we’re just better,” Trapasso said of Ramirez, a senior. “He made a couple plays at first base early in the game that nobody else on our team is going to make. He’s so valuable over there. He’s had a tough year, but he’s intent on finishing strong. There’s a lot of character in that young man. I love that kid to death.”

Fogel’s looping single to right scored Johnny Weeks from second to break a 3-all tie in the top of the eighth. But in the bottom of the inning, the Bulldogs used an unconventional sequence to tie it.

Pinch hitter Nolan Dempsey reached first on a third-strike wild pitch from Hatton. JT Arruda then hit a grounder back to Hatton, who threw to Yamazaki at second for the forceout. Yamazaki’s relay was too late to get Arruda at first.

“We had a 1-6-3 double play, and (Yamazaki) took too much time,” Trapasso said.

Soon after, Hatton threw an apparent third strike to Miles Tomczak. But umpire Jared Ferrans called a balk, ruling that Hatton did not come to a complete stop before throwing the pitch. Trapasso, who disagreed with the ruling, noted Arruda advanced “to second when he shouldn’t have been on first in the first place.”

With two outs, Emilio Nogales hit a double to score Arruda with the tying run.

In the 10th, Kekai Rios and Dustin Demeter hit consecutive one-out singles for the ’Bows. Fogel followed with a triple to center for a 6-4 lead.

Thomas was summoned for the bottom of the 10th. Thomas fell behind 3-0 to leadoff hitter Jeremiah Burks, prompting a visit from catcher Rios. Thomas worked the count to 3-2. On this night, Thomas’ money pitch — the slider — was misbehaving.

“Nine out of 10 times, Dylan is going to have command of his slider equal or better than his fastball,” Trapasso said. “Tonight it was that 10th time when he didn’t.”

But Thomas threw the slider, anyway, striking out Burks. Thomas easily retired the next two batters to end the game.

The teams meet today at 3:05 p.m.