As the celebration was underway on the third-base side, Christian DeJesus walked toward the dugout with his teammates and looked like he thought about throwing his glove.
The feeling was understandable.
UH-Hilo’s baseball team lost another tight game Saturday to UH-Manoa. Scotty Scott’s two-out line drive in the bottom of the ninth inning scored former Kamehameha-Hawaii standout Dallas Duarte with the winning run in a 3-2 victory en route to a doubleheader sweep at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu.
UHH starter Brandyn Lee-Lehano, Duarte’s former Warriors teammate, grinded out seven strong innings, allowing only one earned run, but the Vuls suffered a walk-off loss to UH for the second season-opening series in a row.
“Brandyn did really well,” UHH coach Kallen Miyataki said. “He proved he can pitch. We wanted to give him an opportunity and he stepped up.”
Each team switched their jerseys for the nightcap, a 6-2 Rainbow Warriors’ victory that improved their record to 7-2.
“We played relatively clean,” UH coach Mike Trapasso told a statewide TV audience. “I felt we came in with the mindset that it was going to be a long day, and I think because of that – you know I’ll never question our guys’ effort, ever – but I think in the back of their mind they came into the yard thinking it was going to be a long day. You’re almost mentally pacing yourself, and you can’t do that, because we let them hang around basically for two games.”
Duarte reached on a one-out hit-by-pitch and moved to second when Dejesus got Stone Miyao to ground to first. On a 2-2 pitch, Scott’s liner eluded a diving attempt by center fielder Rustin Ho for his fourth hit of the game.
‘Bows ace Aaron Davenport struck out eight in six shutout innings in his third strong start of the season. He took a no-decision when right fielder Chris Aubort blasted a two-run homer to right in the eighth off of Tyler Dyball (0-1), also bring home Trey Yukumoto, who reached on a single.
Lee-Lehano, also a strong setup man for UHH (0-2), allowed run-scoring singles to Dustin Demeter in the second and Kole Kaler in the third before setting down during a 99-pitch outing. The senior right-hander allowed just three hits the rest of the way – Waiakea alum Safea Villaruz-Mauai singled in the sixth – yielding eight overall with a walk and three strikeouts.
Dejesus took the loss after Aaron Davies worked a scoreless eighth.
Waiakea alum Casey Yamauchi and Yukumoto collected two hits apiece as the Vuls were outhit 10-7.
Dyball worked three innings and was credited with the win.
In the second game, the Rainbows defeated the Vulcans 6-2, behind Cade Halemanu’s five innings of one-run ball.
Cameron Scudder threw 4 2/3 innings in the loss. The lefthander allowed three runs on three hits and four walks. He struck out five and two runs were unearned.
Cody Hirata got the Vulcans out of a tough jam in the fifth when the 2019 Waiakea graduate recorded a strikeout with two on. He finished with an inning and allowed two runs on two hits and one walk and whiffed one.
Bradnyn Yoshida and Yukumoto had two hits each for the Vulcans, who plan to start Kyle Alcorn on Sunday and empty the bullpen to get the relievers, including closer John Kea, some work.
Despite the doubleheader loss, UHH remained positive.
“We’re upbeat and ready to go,” Miyataki said. “
This will set the tone for us again against Hawaii Pacific. We’ll fare well and be OK.