Hawaii amasses 15 hits, ties series

Relying on a power surge and a mightier ’pen, the University of Hawaii baseball team turned back Cal State Northridge 9-4 at Matador Field on Saturday.

The Rainbow Warriors amassed 15 hits, including home runs by second baseman Johnny Weeks and first baseman Eric Ramirez, to even this three-game series. The ’Bows, who entered the series with 14 home runs, have hit seven in two games against the Matadors. The finale is today at 10 a.m.

Ramirez, who has two homers in the series, went 3-for-5 on Saturday. Shortstop Dustin Demeter also had three hits, and catcher Kekai Rios added two hits and drove in three runs.

The ’Bows also turned two double plays, picked off two runners at first, and tagged out a Matador trying to score from first on a double. The ’Bows did not commit an error.

“Make no mistake, we won the game with our offense and our defense,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said in a telephone interview. “We made some really nice plays. And we kept scoring all game. We were relentless on offense all day long. We needed to (be) because Jackson (Rees) was struggling.”

Rees pitched in place of left-handed Dominic DeMiero, who has tenderness in his pitching arm. Rees went 51⁄3 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs while issuing four walks.

“I don’t know how Jackson stayed in there for 51⁄3 because he was as out of sync and out of whack as I’ve seen,” Trapasso said. “The kid’s got guts and guile.”

In between innings, Trapasso, who also serves as pitching coach, gave Rees tutorial sessions.

“We were trying to find a rhythm for him to get him into the zone,” Trapasso said. “He found a way. We were able to stick with Jackson and let him work through struggles because we had the lead.”

Casey Ryan, who pitched an inning on Friday, was summoned to solve a jam in the sixth. With Matadors at first and second, Harrison Hart hit a hard grounder. Third baseman Josh Rojas fielded it and tagged third to get the lead runner out. A batter later, Rios threw from behind the plate to Ramirez to pick off Hart for the third out. Rios and Ramirez communicate non-verbally when a runner takes too large a lead off first.

“They put that on, and the timing was great,” Trapasso said.

Ryan allowed three hits and no runs, and struck out four, including three in the eighth, for his second save.

“Casey was outstanding,” said Trapasso, noting Ryan’s fastball clocked between 90 and 92 mph. “It was as good as he’s been.”

Ryan is a two-pitch hurler, but both — the fastball and knee-high curve — were on target, according to Trapasso. “He had that curveball going, and when that curveball is down, it’s very sharp,” Trapasso said. “He showed he’s the guy when we need him. He’ll definitely pitch more.”

The ’Bows improved to 23-15 overall and 5-6 in the Big West. The Matadors are 21-23 and 8-6.

A week after pitching a complete game, CSUN starter Andrew Weston was tagged for nine earned runs and 14 hits in 71⁄3 innings.

Shortstop Fred Smith had four hits and three RBIs for the Matadors.