‘Bows roll past Wagner

Hawaii has proven it can win with Matt Sisto on the mound.

Now the Rainbows need to show they can do so without their senior leader.

Sisto pitched eight innings of six-hit ball, winning his third consecutive start dating back to last season in a 9-2 victory over Wagner in the opener of a five-game series on Thursday night at Les Murakami Stadium.

A crowd of 1,012 saw Sisto run his streak to 22 innings without allowing an earned run. He struck out six without walking a batter, throwing 106 pitches.

"(Sisto) is a great pitcher, and it’s comforting to know that we can trust him all the way," said senior Zack Swasey, who put the Rainbows ahead for good with a three-run double in the fifth. "I have no worries when he pitches."

Sisto hasn’t lost since the worst outing of his career, recording only five outs and allowing seven runs in a road game at New Mexico State last May.

He’s gone at least seven innings in his past three outings, allowing 13 hits over 22 innings with three walks and 14 strikeouts.

"It was a close game for a while and I tried to pound the zone and keep us in it," Sisto said.

Senior Riley Welch finished the game, striking out two in the ninth as Hawaii set itself up nicely for its next four games against the Seahawks (0-1).

"It’s a good start to a long series," Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. "For (Sisto) to be able to go eight innings and not have to go the pen early will help us."

Stephen Ventimilia went 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs and Swasey’s hit highlighted a seven-run fifth inning as UH (2-3) won a series opener for the second straight weekend.

"It was tied with the bases loaded, so I was trying to put the ball in play and it worked out," Swasey said.

Collin Bennett added two singles to extend his hitting streak to nine games as UH made the most of its 11 hits, scoring nine times.

Max Schmardel took the loss for the Seahawks, allowing three runs on six hits in four innings. He was one of four pitchers Wagner used in the fifth as Hawaii blew the game open.

Hawaii used its fourth different lineup in as many games, with junior Joe Goldenberg getting the start in left field in place of freshman Kaeo Aliviado.

Trapasso said Aliviado "was unavailable" on Thursday but would play today.

Hawaii jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first as first baseman Max Duval recorded his first hit as a Rainbow, driving in Breland Almadova with a two-out single.

Hawaii added to its lead in the third on two balls that didn’t even make it halfway to third base.

After a one-out single by Almadova, Ventimilia dropped a perfect bunt down the third-base line that stopped right on the line for a hit.

With runners on the corners, Bennett took a full swing on a ball that went just as far as Ventimilia’s, resulting in a run-scoring single that made it 2-0.

The Seahawks tied things up in the fifth, taking advantage of two UH errors. Chris Smith led off with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error by Ventimilia trying to start a double play. An error by Sisto allowed Smith to plate the first run and Mitchell Dressing crossed the plate on a groundout to tie the game at 2-all.

The game didn’t stay tied for long as Swasey’s bases-clearing double in the bottom of the inning put UH ahead 5-2. Ventimilia led off with a single, forcing Wagner coach Jim Carone to make a pitching change.

Reliever Steven Bloodworth couldn’t record an out, however, allowing five straight Rainbows to reach base.

After Swasey’s double, Pi‘ikea Kitamura singled and advanced to second on a throw home and Trevor Podratz was hit with a pitch in the back of the helmet to load the bases again.

Junior Dakota Dvorak replaced Bloodworth and bounced a ball in the dirt that got away from catcher Hayden Hunter, allowing Swasey to score from third. Goldenberg added a sacrifice fly and Ventimilia ripped a two-run triple in his second at-bat of the inning to give UH a 9-2 lead.

Left-hander Jarret Arakawa will oppose Wagner’s Ryan Van Spronsen tonight at 6:35.