Hawaii baseball team blasts 3 homers in win over UC San Diego

Scotty Scott, Matt Wong and Nainoa Cardinez hit home runs to power the University of Hawaii baseball team to today’s 9-5 victory over UC San Diego at Triton Ballpark in La Jolla, Calif.

By clinching their seventh three-game series in a row, the Rainbow Warriors improved to 26-21 overall and 17-9 in the Big West. The Tritons, in the second year of a four-year transition from Division II to Division I, fell to 23-29 and 12-13.

Scott’s two-run blast to right-center staked the ’Bows to a 2-0 lead in the second. Scott’s first homer came on the 527th at bat of his four-season UH career. Scott, a left fielder who has a tender left (throwing) arm, also stranded a Triton at third with a strong throw back to the infield following a running catch. Scott’s diving grab was the Tritons’ 27th out.

Wong’s fifth homer of the season, a three-run blast, cleared the wall in left field and extended the ’Bows’ lead to 7-2 in the fourth inning.

Cardinez’s hit his second home run in as many games to make it 8-2 in the fifth.

Shortstop Jordan Donahue went 4-for-5 and scored two runs. Second baseman Stone Miyao was 3-for-4, including a bunt single that ricocheted and hit the first-base bag.

Cade Halemanu, whose usual start was moved back a day, allowed two runs — none earned — in six innings to improve to 3-5.

Sunday’s series finale begins at 10 a.m. Hawaii time.