CS Fullerton beats Rainbows again

Hawaii’s got one last shot to finish the Big West baseball season with a winning record.

Cal State Fullerton withstood the Rainbow Warriors’ best chance at a victory — ace Tyler Brashears started on the mound Saturday night — as pinch hitter Jake Jeffries broke a tie with a two-run single off Andrew Jones in the seventh inning to give the Titans a 4-2 win to clinch the series.

Hawaii (21-28, 12-11) had gone 14 innings without a run against Cal State Fullerton (30-22, 15-5) until senior Kaeo Aliviado belted a 3-1 offering from freshman starter John Gavin over the wall in right for his fifth homer of the season.

The sixth big fly of his career in his final home series brought life to a crowd of 2,418 that braved an 8:06 p.m. start time because of graduation.

The game was tied 2-2 in the seventh when the first four Fullerton batters reached base off Jones, who made mistakes on back-to-back bunts that loaded the bases with no one out.

Jeffries, hitting for Taylor Bryant in the No. 9 spot, singled under the glove of Johnny Weeks at third to score two runs that allowed Fullerton to retake the lead.

Sophomore Miles Chambers (4-3) earned the win with 12⁄3 innings in relief of Gavin, who gave up two runs on five hits in 51⁄3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.

Tyler Peitzmeier pitched the final two innings to earn his 14th save.

Jones (1-4) took the loss for UH, allowing two runs for only the second time in his last eight appearances.

His high throw to first on a bunt was ruled a throwing error and he was tentative fielding a second bunt, forcing Weeks to have to make a late throw that allowed the runner to reach base.

After Aliviado’s homer cut the deficit to 2-1, Hawaii tied the game on a disputed call at first.

An error and catcher Chayce Ka‘aua’s single loaded the bases for Weeks, who hit a grounder to third that was fielded cleanly by Jerrod Bravo.

Bravo stepped on the bag for the second out and then fired a one-hopper to first that was scooped by Tanner Pinkston, but Pinkston came off the bag, allowing Hawaii to score the tying run.

Fullerton coach Rick Vanderhook came out to argue and the umpires gathered near home plate to discuss the play before eventually calling Weeks safe again.

It took Brashears off the hook for the loss.

Brashears gave up five hits and two runs in six innings with two walks and two strikeouts but had his pitch count climb to 110.

He finishes Big West play with a 5-2 record and a 1.60 ERA in 562⁄3 innings.

Aliviado finished 2-for-3 with a walk and Eric Ramirez singled and scored for UH, which has scored seven runs in its last seven games against Fullerton — all losses.

Sophomore Quintin Torres-Costa gave up a hit and a walk in the ninth inning before striking out the side to extend his scoreless innings streak to 22.

In 12 BWC appearances, Torres-Costa has struck out 24 in 181⁄3 scoreless innings with eight saves and only nine hits allowed.

Senior Eric Gleese recorded the final out in the top of the eighth and hasn’t given up a run in 10 appearances this season spanning 12 innings.

Hawaii will send senior Jarrett Arakawa (3-3, 3.74 ERA) to the mound in Sunday’s regular-season finale at 5:05 p.m.

UH hasn’t had a winning season in the Big West since joining the conference in 2013.

Fujimura given Chuck Leahey award

Longtime University of Hawaii equipment manager Ken Fujimura was presented with the annual Chuck Leahey Award prior to first pitch.

Fujimura began working at UH in 1973 and was responsible for volleyball, basketball, football and baseball for more than 30 years. Even after retiring a few years ago, he still helps out with the baseball team and goes on every road trip.

BIG WEST STANDINGS

*includes one tie for overall record

Saturday
Cal State Fullerton 4, Hawaii 2
UC Santa Barbara 3, UC Irvine 2, 11 inn.
Cal Poly 7, UC Riverside 6
Long Beach State 4, UC Davis 2
CSUN 6, Washington 0
Sunday
Cal State Fullerton at Hawaii, 5:05 p.m.
UC Irvine at UC Santa Barbara
UC Riverside at Cal Poly
UC Davis at Long Beach State
CSUN at Washington