Cal Poly gives the bad news ’Bows the boot to take series

On a day when the University of Hawaii baseball team lost a game — 7-1 to host Cal Poly — and a Big West series, the good news was negative news.

X-rays were negative for outfielder Adam Fogel’s swollen right ankle. Everything else was negative for the Rainbow Warriors in their second consecutive loss to the Mustangs. After winning the series opener 11-1, the ’Bows were outscored, 22-6, the next two games.

“The only good news of the weekend was Fogel’s X-ray was negative,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “How was that for a weekend? But it was only one weekend. The reality is we weren’t very good. We have to be better. We won’t win any games in the Big West playing the way we did in all phases.”

The ’Bows did not get a hit in the first five innings against Bobby Ay, who entered with an 0-3 record, 4.50 earned-run average and 1.46 WHIP. Ay relinquished five hits and five walks in 71⁄3 innings, exiting with a 5-1 lead.

“He was wild, but he was good,” Trapasso said. “The arms Cal Poly ran out against us were really impressive.”

UH’s Neil Uskali threw well when he met catcher Kekai Rios’ low target. “But they took advantage of every ball up in the zone,” Trapasso said.

Michael Sanderson, who had to move from third base to first because of a sore throwing arm, went 4-for-4 and scored two runs for Cal Poly. Leadoff hitter Alex McKenna was 3-for-5 and drove in two runs. The Mustangs scored their first run on an Uskali balk.

Once again, the ’Bows had difficulty adjusting to grounders accelerating on Baggett Stadium’s grass infield. They committed nine errors during the series. Shortstop Dustin Demeter, who was charged with two errors on Sunday, could not make clean scoops on several grounders.

“Our defense was — I’m trying to think of the right word — terrible,” Trapasso said. “I don’t even know if that’s strong enough. It was terrible, and you’re not going to win any games playing defense the way we did.”

Trapasso acknowledged Demeter struggled.

“Dustin has to figure out how to to play a ground ball on grass or it’ll be a tough year for him,” Trapasso said. “He got shook by the fast surface and played tentative the entire weekend. Whenever you play tentative on defense, you’re going to get eaten alive. He was eaten alive.”

The ’Bows also could not catch breaks. In the second, outfielder Alex Fitchett was ruled to have left third base too early on a flyout to right. Third base coach Rusty McNamara was ejected for protesting.

“I couldn’t tell,” said Trapasso, who was in the dugout on the first-base side. “But the reaction Rusty had — he was right there — I’m going to trust him. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous the umpire threw him out. I thought it was a joke.”

But Trapasso said the umpires made correct rulings on two other debatable plays. Dylan Vchulek initially was credited with out-racing a throw from third. But the umpires huddled, then concluded Sanderson’s foot was not pulled off first.

The game ended when Logan Pouelsen was ruled to have interfered with second baseman Scott Ogrin, who was trying to make the relay throw on a sure double-play grounder.

“It was the perfect way to end the game,” Trapasso said. “A bad play for a bad game.”

The ’Bows will stay on the mainland ahead of Thursday’s opener of a three-game series against UC Riverside. They will travel to Riverside today, then practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.