Oregon overcame the wind and then Hawaii’s bullpen for Saturday’s 4-3 victory at Les Murakami Stadium.
A crowd of 2,645 saw the Ducks overcome a 3-1 deficit to win for the second time in three nights in this four-game series.
With one out in the eighth, the Ducks filled the bases on two singles and a walk — then emptied them when left-swinging Jakob Goldfarb slashed a drive past third base and down the left-field line for a 4-3 advantage.
The Rainbow Warriors stranded runners at first and second in the eighth and ninth innings.
“We lost it out of the bullpen,” said UH coach Mike Trapasso, noting relievers Cade Halemanu and Calvin Turchin surrendered three hits and three runs in one inning. “Halemanu didn’t command his fastball. And Turchin comes in and throw a four-pitch walk, and that’s the winning run.”
The outcome dropped the ’Bows to 8-7 and ruined left-hander Jeremy Wu-Yelland’s best outing of the season. He departed after seven innings with a 3-1 lead.
Wu-Yelland’s craftiness, mid-90s fastball and deceptive slider befuddled the Ducks in his deepest outing of the season.
In three previous starts, all to open series, Wu-Yelland averaged 5.52 walks per nine innings. But Wu-Yelland was in command on Saturday, throwing strikes on 68.4 percent of his 98 pitches. He threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of 27 batters. Wu-Yelland allowed four hits, walked one and struck out six.
The ’Bows scored in the first inning for only the fourth time this season, Daylen Calicdan drew a one-out walk, scooted to second on Ryne Nelson’s wild pitch, and advanced to third on Maaki Yamazaki’s groundout. On Nelson’s pitch to the skinny part of the bat, left-swinging Alex Baeza blooped a single to right-center to score Calicadan.
After Ethan Lopez singled to left, Logan Pouelsen grounded a single up the middle as Baeza raced home from second for a 2-0 UH lead.
The Ducks took advantage of a fielding team’s no-no — do not allow a leadoff runner on a walk or error — to close to 2-1 in the fifth. Jakob Goldfarb reached when UH second baseman Jack Kennelly bobbled a routine grounder. It was Kennelly’s first error of the season.
Aaron Zavala, one of the Ducks’ four .400 hitters, followed with a single to center. Goldfarb and Zavala each advanced a base on Cameron Campbell’s sacrifice. Goldfarb scored the Ducks’ run on Kyle Froemke’s RBI groundout to second.
The ’Bows extended their lead to 3-1 in the sixth. Tyler Best and Tyler Murray drew consecutive walks to open the inning. Both moved into scoring position on Kennelly’s sacrifice. The Ducks then intentionally walked Scotty Scott to fill the bases. Calicdan then drove an 0-2 pitch to center. Best outraced Jonny DeLuca’s throw to the plate for the ’Bows’ third run.
Nelson, a pro prospect whose fastball can touch 100 mph, struggled as Oregon’s starting pitcher.
Nelson had rotated between pitching and shortstop in his first two Oregon seasons. This season, he has focused on pitching — and taming his powerful right arm. He entered averaging 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Nelson struggled with his aim, which kept the meter running on his pitch count.
He threw 72 pitches in the first three innings, and 90 when he was pulled after four innings. Nelson’s four strikeouts were offset by five walks.
The ’Bows were short-handed again. Catcher Dallas Duarte missed his fourth consecutive game because of a sprained ankle. Center fielder Adam Fogel, who was diagnosed with an injury to his right shoulder, is expected to miss the rest of the season. He is weighing options on when to have surgery.
