Tribune-Herald
Before packing its bags to head back home, the University of Hawaii finally broke out its big lumber.
Piikea Kitamura had a career-high four hits and the Warriors banged out 13 in all Sunday to beat Cal Poly 7-6 in San Luis Obispo, Calif, ending a seven-game losing streak.
The offesnsive outburst was a long time coming for the Warriors (8-24, 3-6 Big West baseball), who came within a run of equaling their total offensive output in their previous six games on the trip.
Andre Real and Kitamura each had two hits in the first two innings as Hawaii scored all of its runs in its first four at-bats to make a winner of Corey MacDonald, who took advantage of run support that had been unheard of so far on the trip.
Real belted a two-run triple in the second off Bryan Granger and finished 3 for 5. Connor George was 2 for 4, doubling and scoring in the third and driving in a run in the fourth, and Max Duval was 2 for 4.
Real and Kitamura each finished with two runs scored and two RBIs.
MacDonald (4-3) pitched until the eighth before giving up a double to Nick Torres, but Scott Squier earned his first career save by striking out two in getting six outs.
Trailing 5-0, the Mustangs (24-9, 6-3) broke through for four runs in the third inning, highlighted by Denver Chavez’s two-run single.
But MacDonald settled and went on to retire seven straight batters in the middle innings. He struck out two in seven innings, allowing seven hits, six runs and two walks.
David Armanderiz was 2 for 4 and scored two runs for Cal Poly and Elliot Stewart had an RBI double in the seventh.
In 1 2/3 innings, Granger yielded seven hits, four runs and walk with a strikeout.
The Warriors open a three-game series with Cal State Northridge on Friday in Honolulu.