It was an all-night job, but after three hours and 18 minutes, the University of Hawaii at Hilo finally outlasted Holy Names University 8-7 on Thursday night at Wong Field, snapping a nine-game losing streak. ADVERTISING It was an all-night
It was an all-night job, but after three hours and 18 minutes, the University of Hawaii at Hilo finally outlasted Holy Names University 8-7 on Thursday night at Wong Field, snapping a nine-game losing streak.
The Vulcans, 4-13 overall, 4-11 in the Pacific West Conference, managed to pull it out despite trailing most of the game and struggling through issues on the mound, surrendering 13 hits to the Hawks (6-24, 4-13 PWC), putting a bit more distance between themselves and the conference’s last place team.
UHH started its losing streak on the last game of the previous home stand when it lost the last of a four-game series with Academy of Art, then it took eight straight losses on a road trip before this game.
This one looked like it was headed for a double-digit losing streak until the bottom of the ninth.
Jonathan Segovia led off the ninth with a single and the Vulcans seemed to come to life after Dylan Sugimoto followed with a bloop double just inside the right field line.
With runners on second and third, Kyle Yamada delivered an immaculate bunt that traveled all of about 12 feet down the first base line, scoring Segovia from third, bringing the Vulcans top hitter Phil Steering to the plate to face left-handed reliever Kyle Scott, brought in to try to halt the rally.
On a 2-2 count, Steering drove the ball to shortstop but Alex Denobrina couldn’t make the play. He batted the ball down, was unable to attempt a throw and in the meantime, Sugimoto scored easily from third to tie the game at 7-7.
Scott hit Kamalu Kamoku to load the bases for Cole Nagamine, who homered in his first plate appearance and in his last one of the night hit lofted a fly ball to left center against a drawn in defense that allowed the winning run to score.
The Vulcans took the lead in the second inning when Kamoku doubled to deep right center and Nagamine followed with a home run to left field, the first hone run of the season for UHH at home.
Holy Names had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when Nick Snyder doubled in right fielder John Salda who singled up the middle.
Salda got things going again in the third with another single and again Snyder, leading the Hawks in RBIs, got his 17th of the season and then designated hitter Joshua Nelson singled in Snyder for a 3-2 lead.
The Vulcans got the lead back in the fourth when two walks and a single loaded the bases and everyone moved up when starting pitcher Erik Estrada was called for a balk, allowing leadoff batter Nagamine to to touch home plate. Segovia laid down a well-placed bunt on the squeeze play, allowing Jacob Grijalva to score easily from third, giving Vega a 4-3 lead.
Vega couldn’t hold the lead in the fifth after getting a called third strike on the leadoff hitter before Chris Gnos doubled, then wound up at third after Snyder walked and Paul Kennedy singled to load the bases. Miyataki came out to get Vega and brought in Chance Colson who got a sacrifice fly that tied the game, then ended the inning with a pop up to the catcher, leaving the score 4-4.
Colson ran into trouble immediately in the sixth when he hit the leadoff batter and gave up a single before an infield out scored a run and Gnos doubled in another for a 6-4 lead.
A nightmare on the mound gave the Hawks another run in the eighth when three bases on balls and a hit batsman were gifted to the visitors.
Grijalva got that one back with a solo home run, the second of the game and the season at home for the Vulcans but that still left them two behind at 7-5.
Notes: Miyataki said freshman Dylan Spain (1-3, 3.38) will start Friday’s game and sophomore Thomas Warren (0-2, 5.54) will start the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader… . The Hawks went on a run of strikeouts in the fifth and sixth, striking out the side in the fifth and getting the first batter in the sixth for four in a row… . The nine strikeouts by UHH batters matched a season high in that category, set earlier in a home loss to Hawaii Pacific.
