UH-Manoa roundup: Big Islander lift Rainbow Warriors past Sooners

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Big Islanders were responsible for most of the offense Friday night, and Tyler Brashears settled in as the University of Hawaii beat Oklahoma 2-1 at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu.

Big Islanders were responsible for most of the offense Friday night, and Tyler Brashears settled in as the University of Hawaii beat Oklahoma 2-1 at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu.

Konawaena graduate J.J. Kitaoka hit an RBI double in the fourth and Hilo grad Chayce Ka’aua hit a sacrifice fly and scored a run.

Ka’aua walked with one out in the fourth, moved to third on Jacob Sheldon-Collins’ single and scored easily on Kitaoka’s two-out double to left as the Rainbow Warriors (7-11) rebounded from a series-opening loss to the Sooners (13-8).

Kitaoka, a freshman third baseman, was 2 for 5 to raise his average to .262. He has eight RBIs on the season. Kaaua, a freshman catcher, was 0 for 2, and is batting .196 with nine RBIs.

Brashears (3-2) worked seven innings, allowing five hits, one unearned run and two walks with six strikeouts.

Matt Valencia walked two batters in the eighth but Cody Culp got the final six outs for his fourth save.

Kolbey Carpenter had two hits and scored a run for Oklahoma.

Hard-throwing starter Alex Hansen (2-2) needed 93 pitches to get through four innings. He walked four and struck out five.

Volleyball

Scott Hartley posted nine kills and the Rainbow Warriors won their ninth consecutive match, 25-15, 25-14, 25-14 against Hope International at Stan Sheriff Center.

Ryan Leung added a career-high six kills for UH (16-3), as did Brook Sedore, Taylor Averill and Kupono Fey.

Dominique Blonski had eight kills for Hope (11-10), which hit only .056.

UH hit a blistering .474

Softball

Josie Borysevicz and Kristen Hickling neutralized UH’s slumping offense, which left nine runners on base in a 2-1 loss to St. Bonaventure at the Rainbow Wahine Classic.

Brittan Hitchcock (8-5) took the loss in a complete game, allowing only four hits with two strikeouts.

The Wahine (17-12) fell to 0-3 at their tournament, and they’ve scored only three runs in the process. Hawaii outhit the Bonnies 8-4, got its leadoff batter on in six out of the seven innings and had runners on base in every inning and runners in scoring position in five innings.

But the only time it scored was when s Ulu Matagiese and Keiki Carlos each doubled in the fifth.

Borysevicz (3-3) went 4 1/3 to win for the Bonnies (3-8) and Hickling went the rest of the way for the save.

Water polo

Claire Nixon scored twice in the second overtime, and the No. 8 Rainbow Warriors beat UC Davis 10-9 in Davis, Calif.

Chloe Barr led UH (8-5, 1-1 Big West) with a hat trick, while Gabi Mantellato Dias had a big goal to tie the match with 24 seconds remaining in regulation

Paula Chillida Esforzado also saved Hawaii by scoring with just 13 seconds remaining in the first OT after Hannah Harvey tallied the last of her three goals for the Aggies (11-10, 0-2).

Sarah Logan made nine saves for the Wahine, her final one setting up Nixon game-winner with 17 seconds left.