Demonstrating some Friday night fight, the University of Hawaii baseball team overcame injury and a two-run deficit to surge to a 3-2 victory over UC Santa Barbara at Les Murakami Stadium.
In the eighth, Logan Pouelsen hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie it at 2, and Josh Rojas followed with a run-scoring single to right to help the Rainbow Warriors end a six-game losing streak.
“We’ve been struggling offensively the past couple weeks,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “We pulled this one out with some really good at-bats down the stretch. It was a huge win for us.”
Trailing 2-1 with one out in the eighth, Adam Fogel hit a line drive that ricocheted off pitcher Shea Barry for a single. Alex Fitchett and Marcus Doi drew consecutive walks to load the bases.
Kevin Chandler then came in to relieve Barry, and Pouelsen was called to pinch hit for Ethan Lopez.
Pouelsen hit a 1-2 pitch from Chandler to deep center to score Fogel.
“I was trying to put something in the air to help the team out,” Pouelsen said.
Pouelsen, who hits left-handed, did not start against UCSB lefty Kyle Nelson. But Pouelsen remained focused while waiting for his potential turn.
“You have to be ready all nine innings,” Pouelsen said.
Rojas worked the count to 3-0 when he got the green light from Trapasso. But Rojas said he was waiting for a fastball from Chandler.
“I thought if I made my zone small and sat on a fastball I’d have a good chance,” Rojas said. “Coach gave me the 3-0 green light surprisingly. He threw it on the outside corner, but it wasn’t my pitch. On 3-1, he threw me the pitch I was looking for.”
Rojas pulled the fastball to right to score speedy Fitchett from second with the go-ahead run.
“Josh was the story of the game,” Trapasso said.
It actually was Neil Uskali who wrote the opening chapters.
Dominic DeMiero was the ’Bows’ scheduled starting pitcher. But after throwing his second pitch of pregame warmups in the bullpen, DeMiero alerted the coaches to discomfort in his left (pitching) elbow. It was decided to scratch DeMiero from the start. Uskali, who had been used in relief the past two weeks after 12 starts, was summoned as DeMiero’s replacement. The start of the game was delayed more than 10 minutes to allow Uskali ample time to warm up and for the Gauchos to adjust their batting order.
“Neil pitched his tail off on short notice,” Trapasso said of Uskali, who allowed four hits in seven innings.
The ’Bows closed to 2-1 in the seventh to avoid their first shutout since the season-opening 4-0 loss to North Carolina State. Two pitches after fouling a pitch off his inseam, Rojas pulled a double to right. Rojas advanced to third when Barry was called for a balk after slipping during his windup. Rojas then sprinted home on Johnny Weeks’ RBI groundout to short.
The Gauchos took a 2-0 lead in the second. Eric Yang was hit by a pitch and Colton Burns reached when shortstop Dustin Demeter mishandled a grounder. Both runners advanced on Uskali’s errant pick-off throw to second. Yang scored and Burns went to third on Armani Smith’s ground single to the right. Burns then came home on Austin Bush’s sacrifice fly to left.
The ’Bows squandered several opportunities. In the second, they placed runners at second and third with two outs before Rojas struck out swinging.
In the fourth, Fogel hit a one-out double off the wall in left-center.
But Fitchett popped out to second and Doi grounded out to first.
In the sixth, the ’Bows loaded the bases on three walks, two drawn with two outs. But Lopez struck out swinging to end the threat.
Click here to see more photos.
