Tribune-Herald
Tribune-Herald
Justin Garza didn’t give the University of Hawaii much of a chance to build on its momentum.
Garza silenced the Rainbow Warriors over eight shutout innings as Cal State Fullerton won 5-0 on Saturday night in Honolulu.
Hawaii (9-28, 4-10 Big West) was coming off perhaps its best win of the season a night earlier against the Titans (35-7, 11-3), but starting pitcher Matt Cooper (2-6) exited after the third inning, allowing three runs (one earned).
J.D. Davis was 5 for 5 with two runs scored and an RBI for Fullerton, and Carlos Lopez was 3 for 5 with two runs scored.
Andre Real and Connor George each led Hawaii with two hits. The Warriors showed signs of life after Davis came on in the ninth, but Piikea Kitamura was thrown out at home trying to score on a groundout, and Kalei Hanawahine flew out to right with the bases loaded to end the game.
Garza improved to 9-0, allowing only five hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
Cooper walked in a run in the first, and another run came in on an error. Cooper’s passed ball in the third brought home another run.
In the seventh, Davis followed Lopez’s double with a single off Scott Squier to increase the lead to 4-0, and Austin Diemer stroked an RBI double in the eighth.
Cooper allowed five hits and two walks with two strikeouts, and Squier struck out five in six innings, yielding eight hits and two runs with no walks.
The series concludes today at 1:05 p.m. (OC16).