By BART WRIGHT
By BART WRIGHT
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
From his perspective, Sean Nearhoof can’t imagine anything much better than what he’s been seeing with the University of Hawaii at Hilo baseball team this season.
The starting catcher, Nearhoof is in his third season with the Vulcans and the view from behind the plate has been far beyond what he was used to seeing in his first two years.
“Hard to even say how much we’ve progressed, but it has been a lot and in the right direction,” Nearhoof said after the Vulcans dropped a 2-1 decision to California Baptist Friday afternoon at Wong Stadium. “Our pitchers have done a fantastic job and they continued throughout this series, though the first game was a little different.”
The first game was a 9-4 loss in which the Vulcans committed five errors that chased staff ace Jordan Kurokawa from the mound early, though he gave up no earned runs and lowered his earned run average to an almost invisible 0.67.
Apart from that, in the Cal Baptist sweep of the series, the only difference that separated the first-place Lancers (11-1 in the Pacific West Conference, 21-5 overall), from the last-place Vulcans (2-12, 3-13) was a few untimely errors and the inability of Hawaii Hilo to get a key hit in a crucial situation.
Centerfielder Michael Jenkerson scored the first run Friday, giving UHH its only lead in the series when he walked in the third inning, moved up on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a fly ball out.
Morgan West scattered nine hits through 6 1/3 innings and kept the Lancers from doing too much damage. It stayed that way until the seventh when two singles around a sacrifice bunt scored a run for CBU and it added one more in the eight when Andrew Montoya led off with a double and came in a base hit.
That was it. At the end, it was the Vulcans’ 12th loss in 13 games and in those dirty dozen games, Hawaii Hilo has committed 26 of its 29 errors this season.
Coach Kallen Miyataki beamed through the preseason over his defense, but what he saw in pray time hasn’t been replicated in games as the shortstop and third base positions have combined for 13 of those errors.
“No words for that,” Miyataki said after Friday’s game. “I’m completely surprised by that, I absolutely didn’t see it coming but I still remain really proud of these guys, they’re giving it everything they have.”
That was a sentiment that seemed to be shared by CBU coach Gary Adock.
“Baseball’s a funny game,” Adock said. “It takes one guy on the mound to make everything even and that’s what we saw from them this week, their pitching was outstanding, it was just a matter of us getting some breaks.
“We are a team that hits doubles and honers, that’s how we’re built,” he said, “but we come in here, with this ballpark and we know we can’t play our normal game and then when Kal (Miyataki) send pitchers at us like we saw this week, it’s tough, man. You can take all that first place (team) against last place (team) and toss it in the trash because that’s a really good team we played here, nothing came easy for us. The job Kal and his staff have done with that team is remarkable.”
Nearhoof’s work with the pitching staff has been impressive all season and he, along with most of his teammates are hoping a change of scenery will benefit them when they fly to Northern California Saturday for a 9-game road trip that includes four doubleheaders against Fresno Pacific and Dixie State, after starting Tuesday with a non-conference game against Menlo College.
“We’re all looking forward to the trip,” Nearhoof said. “Sometimes a change like that can help, we all have to pull together and see if we can turn things around.”
Hawaii Hilo concludes its regular season schedule April 30 and May 1, with PWC doubleheaders against Hawaii Pacific.
BIIF baseball
Kamehameha 5, Hilo 4: Daylen Calicdan drove in the winning run and picked up the win with 1 2/3 innings in relief for the Division II Warriors (4-0).
In the sixth inning, Baron Victorino singled with one out, was sacrificed to second, and advanced to third on DallasJ Duarte’s single. Then Calicdan singled off Hilo reliever Ryan Ragual, who took the loss.
Calicdan allowed a run on two hits in relief of Brandyn Lee-Lehano, who pitched three run-ball over 5 1/3 innings.
Josiah Factora started for the Division I Vikings (2-2) and allowed four runs in five innings. The senior right-hander allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out three.
Duarte went 3 for 4, Jai Cabatbat 2 for 3 and Makana Aiona 2 for 4.
Micah Bello batted 2 for 3 to lead Hilo.
Hilo 020 002 0 — 4
Kamehameha 000 311 x — 5
Softball
Kealakehe 16, Honokaa 9: Kawehi Kahele batted 3 for 3 with three RBIs, Brittney Keaunui had four RBIs, and Tavian Taketa was 3 for 6 with three runs scored for the visiting Waveriders (4-1).
Kiara Cantiberos earned the win for Kealakehe.
Keesha Matsuoka took the loss.
Tyrah Fernandez batted 4 for 5 with an RBI and Maluhia Sanchez went 1 for 2 with two RBIs for the Division II Dragons (4-3).