Down to their final at-bat — again — the Hawaii baseball team tapped its “Manoa Magic” in a 9-8 victory over Hawaii Hilo on Tuesday before 1,872 at Les Murakami Stadium.
A night after completing a sweep of UC Davis with Monday’s balk-off victory, the ’Bows tied it at 8 with a two-out single in the ninth, then won it in the 10th when pinch hitter Itsuki Takemoto drew a bases-loaded walk. It was the sixth time this season the ’Bows won in their final at-bat.
“It’s another ‘Manoa Magic,’” UH coach Rich Hill said. “It doesn’t differentiate between opponents. It just happens.”
By winning their sixth in a row, the ’Bows improved to 18-5 in an outcome that counted statistically but not toward the power rankings. The Vulcans fell to 6-20.
Trailing 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth, Will Bowen, an injury replacement for right fielder Jared Quandt, coaxed a one-out walk from Braden Lowe. Jarret “JJ” Nielsen, the UH football team’s No. 2 quarterback, pinch-ran for Bowen. Nielsen went to second on Kevin Ferguson’s groundout to short.
Kamana Nahaku hit a chopper that first baseman Arthur Soto fielded. But Nahaku dived to beat Soto’s toss to Lowe at the bag. Nielsen sprinted home to tie it at 8.
“I was trying to get to first as fast as I can.” Nahaku said. “I just hit it, and ‘Beat that guy to the base.’ That was it.”
Nielsen went into full sprint after Nahaku made contact.
“I knew I was scoring,” Nielsen said. “I was going home no matter what because there were two outs. Rich sent me. It felt good, an adrenaline rush, for sure.”
In the bottom of the 10th, Shunsuke Sakaino drew a leadoff walk and went to second on pinch hitter Matthew Miura’s sacrifice. Pinch hitter Jordan Donahue then was hit by a pitch from Xavier Pressley. Ben Zeigler-Namoa, the third consecutive pinch hitter, walked to load the bases.
Takemoto was summoned to bat for catcher Hunter Faildo. Takemoto faced a 1-2 count but worked it full, then took an inside pitch from Pressley for the walk-off walk. Takemoto raised both arms, as if he converted a successful field goal, as he jogged to first while the ’Bows stormed the field.
“I’m happy to win,” Takemoto said.
“That was a pretty good at-bat,” Hill said. “He’s been doing that all year.”
Hill added: “Hilo’s a well-coached team. They came to play hard. I’ve been at Cal Lutheran. (Assistant coach) Lindsay (Meggs) has been at Chico State. We used to beat Division I teams all the time. If any coach knows, it’s me, and I have tremendous respect for what those guys do over there. They deserve all the credit. We were lucky to win.”
The Vulcans scored three runs in the eighth to take an 8-7 lead. Mason Cook walked and Braeden Mondeau reached on an error to open the eighth. Mark Fedro’s single to left brought home Cook to close the Vulcans within 7-6. Mondeau advanced to third on the play. Fedro, who stole second, then was thrown out at third on Soto’s grounder to short. Mondeau scored on the fielder’s choice to tie it at 7. Vance Oshiro’s RBI single gave the Vulcans the lead.
UH had deemed this as a “staff” game in which multiple pitchers were scheduled to pitch no more than two innings apiece. The ’Bows also did not start seven of their usual position starters. Third baseman Elijah Ickes and Quandt did not play because of injuries. Ickes, who suffered a fracture in his left hand during the UCD series, might miss up to six weeks.
Quandt was hurt on the balk-off play on Monday. With the bases loaded, Quandt broke from home on a steal attempt. UCD’s Carter Delaney did not pause before throwing a pitch. Quandt injured his left (non-throwing) shoulder on the head-first slide to play — an effort that was made moot because of the game-ending balk call against Delaney. Hill said Quandt’s injury will not require surgery. Quandt is expected to be on this week’s travel roster.
