Hawaii unravels as Oregon enjoys near-perfect day

The Hawaii baseball team learned that some days are good, and some days are like Sunday’s 13-2 loss to Oregon at Les Murakami Stadium.

After winning the first three games, the Rainbow Warriors unraveled in every phase in the series’ finale. Kenyon Yovan, Aaron Zavala and Jack Scanlon blasted home runs, and Brett Walker pitched a two-hitter over eight scoreless innings for the Ducks.

“It was a great example of what happens when you play poorly against a good team,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “You get hammered. It was a bad day in what was a good weekend. Tip your hat to Oregon, and feel good about the series win. But we’re disappointed about our performance today, particularly from the mound.”

On Saturday, the ’Bows rallied from a 5-0 deficit en route to a 7-6 victory. After Sunday’s third inning, the ’Bows were in another 5-0 hole. But this time there would be no tourniquet. Aaron Zavala hit a solo homer in the fifth — his first of the year and Oregon’s’ second of the game — and Jack Scanlon smacked a three-run drive in a five-run sixth as the Ducks pulled away.

“Being able to come back for the fourth game after being down 0-3, it was awesome,” Scanlon said. “We went out there swinging it, all of our guys. We put good swings on the ball, and just had a blast playing ball. After going 0-for-4 the day before, you have to flip the page. That’s the good thing about baseball.”

For the ’Bows, the goal was to muster the energy to complete the sweep.

“When you play with so much emotion like we did (Saturday) night, it’s not uncommon to come out for a day game a few hours later a little on the flat side,” Trapasso said. “And that’s why it’s imperative a pitcher takes control while the rest of the guys get back up to speed. It happens all the time. We didn’t do that.”

Tai Atkins, a freshman making his first start after three relief appearances, served up Yovan’s two-run homer in the first. Atkins exited with two outs in the third, having relinquished five runs on six hits and three walks.

“It got away from Tai early,” said Trapasso, who doubles as the pitching coach. “Tai wasn’t good, and we weren’t good. … Tai is really important to us. It looks like he’ll stay important to us in his role out of the bullpen, which I think he likes better. He wasn’t aggressive. He wasn’t throwing strikes (43 on 70 pitches). And that’s not Tai. He didn’t have it today.”

Neither did four of the next six relievers. The Ducks amassed 17 hits, drew six walks, and were beaned once.

After being staggered early and often, the ’Bows did not have a counter punch against Walker, a junior right-hander. Walker struck out three and walked none. He retired the first 16 UH hitters in order.

“No one was talking to me in the dugout,” Walker said of the silence that let him know he was golden. “I understood what was going on,”

The perfect game was spoiled when Tyler Murray, who was hitless in 17 at-bats this season, singled to right with one out in the sixth. Murray’s time on basepath was brief. Walker induced the next batter, Stone Miyao, to ground into a double play.

Walker had hoped to return to the mound for the ninth inning, but it was decided to have Yovan, the designated hitter, finish the game. “He needed to pitch,” Walker said.

In his first two seasons, Yovan was considered one of the best pitchers in the Pac-12. But he incurred a blood clot that numbed two fingers on his right (pitching) hand last season. He ended up pitching only twice in 2019. Yovan surrendered both UH runs in the ninth, but the outing was a step toward his return as a pitcher.

By then, Oregon’s lineup and Walker’s pitching were more than enough.

“We needed a win,” Walker said, “and I did what I had to do.”

Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski, who had played a season for the ’Bows, said: “It was a complete game. Brett Walker was fantastic. The offense did a nice job. I think we played a flawless defensive game. When you do those three things, I think it’s tough to lose a game.”