In just his second game of collegiate action, freshman Mark Fedro stepped up big to deliver a walk-off home run as the UH-Hilo Baseball team charged back for a 7-6 victory over Biola before taking down the Eagles again, 2-1, for the doubleheader sweep Friday evening in Pacific West Conference play at Francis Wong Stadium.
With the help of a blessing of Hilo rain, the first game saw the Vulcans battle back from a four-run deficit before Fedro provided the game-winning solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Matthew O’Brien then pitched a two-hitter with three strikeouts for the complete-game victory in the nightcap.
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GAME ONE
In his first collegiate action days prior, Mark Fedro broke up a no-hit bid in the fifth inning by the Division-I UH Manoa Rainbow Warriors. Friday afternoon, the freshman put the Vulcans on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first with an RBI double to left field.
Biola managed to lash out eight of its 13 total hits in the second and third innings to plate five runners across for a 5-1 advantage.
The first of three rain delays on the evening halted action for 40 minutes in the top of the fourth inning.
James Yamasaki entered for starter Eamon Velardge and threw a gem of 5.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
Aided by one of Biola’s five errors, the Vulcans clawed back in the fifth inning with RBI hits by Bryce Tweedt and Arthur Soto to bring the game back within one score.
UH-Hilo had opportunities in the sixth and seventh frames but couldn’t cash in as it left five combined runners stranded on the basepaths.
Aided by a pair of Eagles errors, the Vulcans tied the score then subsequently took the lead in the eighth inning with a wild throw on a Reece Kadota sacrifice bunt attempt and a Cody Min RBI fielder’s choice groundout up the middle.
Biola managed to draw a lead-off walk in the top of the ninth followed by a game-tying RBI single from AJ Ortiz.
Fedro led off the bottom of the ninth and blasted a moonshot over the left-field fence for the 796 walk-off victory.
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GAME TWO
Matthew O’Brien surrendered just two hits and one run while notching three strikeouts for the complete-game victory. The lefty faced just 23 batters — two over the minimum for a seven-inning contest.
On the flip side, Biola starter Blake Wentz gave up just one hit in 5.0 innings but walked four batters with two of them — Blake Tweedt and Bryce Tweedt — coming around to score.
Game 2 had two rain delays, one in the bottom of the second and the other in the bottom of the fourth.
The lone Vulcans hit was an RBI single by Bradyn Yoshida for the first run of the game in the second inning.
Biola managed to tie the score in the fourth on a solo homer by Bobby Brown, who was the starting pitcher for Game 1 but remained in as a designated hitter.
In the fifth inning, Bryce Tweedt drew the lead-off walk before being moved over to third base on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. Mason Cook hit a dribbler back to the pitcher but the Biola second baseman had a tough time running over to cover the bag and simply missed on securing the catch for what would have been the third out.
UH-Hilo moved to 10-10 overall (3-3 PacWest) while Biola moved to an 0-2 conference record (8-7-1 overall).
The Vulcans played another doubleheader against Biola on Saturday.
The results will be published soon.
UH-Hilo will next host Point Loma for a four-game series, March 8-9.