UH-Hilo’s baseball team is officially dealing with its biggest adversity of the season.
Dixie State pounded out 13 hits against five different Vulcans pitchers Thursday, winning the series opener 9-5 in St. George, Utah.
After a three-game winning streak, UHH (11-14, 7-10) has lost three in a row with three more on tap against the Trailblazers (13-18, 9-12).
Pitching in relief, Brandyn Lee-Lehano saw his record fall to 0-4 as Dixie State scored two runs in the sixth to break a 4-4 tie. Cole Nakachi started and worked three innings.
The Vuls posted 11 hits. Phillip Steering hit a two-run double in the first and Kyle Yamada, Mano Manago and Kila Zuttermeister each finished with two hits apiece. Manago’s RBI single in the first gave the Vulcans a 3-0 lead.
Hawaii 4, UC Irvine 3: Logan Pouelsen did it all as the Rainbow Warriors (15-8, 1-0 Big West) earned their first win at at Anteater Ballpark in 13 tries.
Pouelsen pitched three innings of shutout relief, and he scored the go-ahead run in the seventh to make himself the winner, tripling and scoring on Kekai Rios’ single.
Pouelsen also doubled and finished 3 for 5 with two runs scored, and Adam Fogel, Rios and Dustin Demeter collected two hits apiece.
Dylan Thomas earned his seventh save.