Tribune-Herald
Brothers Dane and Gavin Kinoshita got the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s celebratory weekend off to a fine start.
Each senior right-handed starter navigated through trouble in opposite ends of a doubleheader to get victories at Wong Stadium as the Vulcans beat Academy of Art 4-1 and 3-1.
Two more efforts like that in today’s season-ending 1 p.m. doubleheader, and UHH (10-32, 9-29 Pacific West Conference) will be able top send longtime coach Joey Estrella out as a winner. The Vulcans will pay tribute to Estrella, who is retiring after 37 seasons, after the first game. At the end of the nightcap, UHH will honor its 11 seniors.
The Kinoshitas already put in their heavy lifting.
Dane Kinoshita (2-5) struck out eight in 6 2/3 innings, and Sam Kim put the Vulcans ahead to stay with a two-run home run in the sixth inning.
Another senior, Patrick Fletcher stranded three runners in the seventh and worked 2 1/3-hitless innings, allowing a walk and a strikeout, to earn his first save of the season as UHH ended an eight-game losing streak.
Kim finished 2 for 3. Senior Brad Fairweather doubled in the fifth and scored on Austin Cusack’s single to right.
Aaron Garabedian (0-8) lasted into the sixth for the Urban Knights (4-29, 3-21) and Myles Babitt was 2 for 4.
Dane Kinoshita survived some hiccups — seven hits allowed, three walks, four wild pitches and two hit batters — but he got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and stranded two more runners in the fifth.
Gavin Kinoshita (2-4) walked five but allowed only an unearned run in the first over 5 2/3 innings. Keenan Nishioka and Fairweather were both 2 for 3 with doubles. Nishioka had two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in the first inning that tied the score 1-1. Garrett Micheels and Nishioka produced back-to-back doubles in the third to put UHH ahead.
Fairweather singled and scored on an error in the fourth.
Sheldon Shishido came on in the sixth and struck out Stefen Henderson with the bases loaded, pitching 1 1/3 innings for his second save. The Waiakea graduate worked around a single and walk in the seventh.
Gavin Kinoshita walked four and struck out four.
Nate Gercken (1-5) struck out six in six innings for Academy of Art, which has lost 14 of 16.
First game
Academy of Art 001 000 000 — 1 7 1
UHH 000 012 10x — 4 8 3
Second game
Academy of Art 100 000 0 —1 5 1
UHH 101 100 x —3 7 3
