UH wins road finale against Cal Poly

The Hawaii baseball team delivered the parting shot to an eight-game, 13-day road trip with Sunday’s 4-1 victory over Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

A crowd of 1,851 in Baggett Stadium saw Logan Pouelsen and Dylan Thomas combine on a three-hitter, and Ethan Lopez drive in three runs as the Rainbow Warriors finished 4-4 on the California trip.

“It’s been an interesting trip,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “We went 4-4, and we feel it could have been better. It could have been 6-2. But it could have been worse. We’ll hopefully build on the 4-4 road trip.”

The ’Bows have a bye this weekend, then play their final home games against UC Santa Barbara the following week. Trapasso said he is hopeful the break will benefit ailing starters Maaki Yamazaki and Dallas Duarte. Yamazaki has not played shortstop since developing soreness in his right (throwing) arm on this trip. Yamazaki, who was used as the designated hitter on Friday and Saturday, did not play on Sunday. Duarte, who aggravated an ankle injury, played third.

Brennan Hancock, who returned to the designated hitter’s role, scored a run and drove in another when his fifth-inning drive hit the top of the wall in center field.

“He’s one of our leading hitters,” Trapasso said of Hancock. “Sitting for two or three games, it’s just a shame. We didn’t want him to sit for the whole weekend. He came up with a huge hit for us.”

Lopez, the usual third baseman, opened at shortstop in Yamazaki’s absence. Lopez lined an RBI single in the first inning and drove in two more with a single off his nemesis in the fifth. In Friday’s game, Lopez and Cal Poly closer Michael Clark exchanged hold-me-back glares. The chill continued after Clark got Lopez to fly out to end Saturday’s game. On Sunday, Clark entered for the third game in a row, inheriting runners on second and third. This time, Lopez singled to cushion UH’s lead to 4-1.

“Lopez’s hit was big off Clark to get us some separation,” Trapasso said.

The 4-1 lead was more than enough for the UH pitchers. Trapasso had hoped Pouelsen would pitch at least five innings. Thomas, who did not pitch on Friday or Saturday, was prepared to be used in long relief. But Pouelsen mystified the Mustangs with a 93 mph fastball, curveball and change-up. Pouelsen allowed three hits and one run in seven innings.

“It started with Logan,” Trapasso said. “I’ve never seen him better. He didn’t throw a ball over the middle of the plate, and he had tremendous command of three pitches.”

Trapasso said the game plan was to use the change-up. “We noticed early on (Pouelsen’s) slider was really good today,” Trapasso said. “He got most of his outs with the slider. He was really good. He was ahead on the count. He was efficient.”

Trapasso considered using Pouelsen in the eighth, but opted to go with his closer. Pouelsen and Thomas did not allow a hit in the final five innings.

Trapasso praised the Mustangs, who won the first two games of the series before falling to 22-22 overall and 12-3 in the Big West. “Cal Poly is in first place for a reason,” Trapasso said. “It was good to just play well, and relatively clean.”

Unlike Saturday’s mistake-filled performance, UH’s two errors had no bearing on the score.

The ’Bows, who are 20-24 and 8-10, return to Honolulu today.