Tribune-Herald Ronnie Loeffler’s most efficient start of the season put the Hawaii Stars in good position for a stellar finish at home. ADVERTISING Loeffler allowed only a run over seven innings and Hawaii held off Na Koa Ikaika Maui 3-1
Tribune-Herald
Ronnie Loeffler’s most efficient start of the season put the Hawaii Stars in good position for a stellar finish at home.
Loeffler allowed only a run over seven innings and Hawaii held off Na Koa Ikaika Maui 3-1 on Saturday night at Wong Stadium.
Marshall McDonald’s two-run single in the first inning against Eri “Knuckle Princess” Yoshida was all Loeffler needed as the Stars won for the third straight night heading into their final Pacific Association baseball regular-season home game at 1:35 p.m. today.
In his longest outing of the season, Loeffler (2-3) allowed six hits and didn’t walk a batter with one strikeout. The former University of Hawaii at Hilo pitcher and Waiakea graduate lowered his ERA to 3.11.
Devon Ramirez pitched a scoreless eighth and Tony York allowed the tying runs to reach on two singles before notching his fifth save in the ninth.
Hawaii (25-25-1) swiped six bases, five against Yoshida, who pitched five innings and yielded three runs and three hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
Yoshida loaded the bases in the first inning on three walks ahead of McDonald’s single to left field, which put the Stars ahead 2-0.
Hawaii padded its lead in the third when Brenden Davis led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Mitch Levier’s two-out single to right.
Levier and Matt Hibbert were each 2 for 4 for the Stars.
The only blemish against Loeffler came in the fifth when Maui (39-25) loaded the bases on two singles and error, and Kalaika Kahoohalahala was hit by a pitch to force in a run.
Jeremy Willams, Ray Serrano and Jimmy Rohan were each 2 for 4 for Maui.
Matt Stropoli (3-3, 5.94 ERA) starts the home finale today for Hawaii.
