Former Kamehameha-Hawaii standout Tai Atkins is building a reputation as a weekend Warrior.
On the heels of a 61-pitch outing two days earlier, Atkins finished up Hawaii’s 13-7 win Sunday against Rutgers with 11 more, pitching 1 1/3 innings with two strikeouts at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu.
“To be honest, I’m probably the most confident when it comes to my second outing,” Atkins told KHON2 after the Bows split the four-game series. “This preseason and over the summer, I’ve worked at being able to recover and be the guy, so I can pitch multiple times over the weekend.
“All the preparation build confidence.”
The left-hander lowered his ERA to 3.60, with 21 strikeouts in 15 innings.
Matt Wong went 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs to cap a hot series at the plate. Waiakea alum Stone Miyao tripled and drove in three runs and Jordan Donahue had two-out RBI hits in consecutive innings to help push Hawaii’s record to 6-10 overall heading into next week’s Big West conference opener at Long Beach State.
Dalton Renne (2-0 ) pitched 4 1 /3 innings to earn the victory in his first start of the season after four relief appearances.
The ‘Bows scored in five of the first six innings after being held to three runs and nine hits in 16 combined innings when they lost both games of a doubleheader on Saturday.
Aaron Ujimori, who hit in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, got UH off to a quick start. He walked and scored in the first inning and singled home Cole Cabrera with two outs in the second inning to give UH a 2-1 lead.
Ujimori finished 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Wong finished the series hitting.438 (7-for-16 ) with two doubles, four runs scored and six RBIs.
Rutgers starter Nathan Florence (2-1 ), one of nine pitchers used in the game by the Scarlet Knights (12-3 ), walked four and allowed four runs in 2 2 /3 innings to take the loss. Rutgers ended the weekend leading the NCAA in road wins with 11 and is off to its best 15-game start since 1962.
The ‘Bows series against the Dirtbags begins Friday at 3 p.m. Hawaii time. LBSU won two of three against No. 15 Gonzaga this weekend to improve to 7-7 for the season.
