After his season-opening gem against UH-Manoa in mid-February, UH-Hilo senior Jordan Kurokawa credited his defense, using the word “clutch.” ADVERTISING After his season-opening gem against UH-Manoa in mid-February, UH-Hilo senior Jordan Kurokawa credited his defense, using the word “clutch.” He
After his season-opening gem against UH-Manoa in mid-February, UH-Hilo senior Jordan Kurokawa credited his defense, using the word “clutch.”
He appears to have spoken too soon.
The Vulcans failed to back up their ace again in another error-filled performance during a soggy Wednesday night at Wong Stadium. Cal Baptist, which doesn’t need any help to begin with, took full use of five errors for a 9-4 victory in the opener of a four-game series.
Originally scheduled to go off at 6 p.m., rain pushed the start back another 2 hours, 10 minutes. Kurokawa (1-3) allowed two base runners through two scoreless innings, but even as the rain subsided a barrage of errors by UH-Hilo (3-10, 2-9 PacWest) began in the third as the Lancers (18-5, 8-1) pushed across four unearned runs.
Kurokawa left after four innings and allowed six runs – none earned – and four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. His ERA dropped to a minuscule 0.67.
The trouble started in the third when UH-Hilo third baseman Nate Green committed an error against each of the first three batters. With one run in, Antonio Chavarria hit a sacrifice fly, and after Stephen Lohr walked and AJ David singled, Brian Ruhm singled with two outs.
Kurokawa struck out two batters in the fourth and was poised to work around a hit and an Edison Sakata error, but another error by Sakata extended the inning. David coaxed a bases-loaded walk and Kurohawa hit Mark Sanchez to bring in another run.
The Vulcans have made 11 errors in Kurokawa’s last two starts.
Tall right-hander Tyson Miller (4-2) was stingy for Cal Baptist, striking out eight in seven innings and allowing four hits and two runs with a walk.
The Vulcans scored twice in the sixth. Sakata led off with a single, moved to second when Kyle Yamada walked and scored on Jacob Grijalva’s walk. Phillip Steering’s double plated Yamada.
In the eighth, Keaau graduate Jonathan Segovia (2 for 4) belted a triple to score Yamada, who had walked, and Grijalva’s sacrifice fly scored another run.
Thursday’s doubleheader has been moved up to noon.
