RIVERSIDE, Calif.—It was heartbreak times two for the University of Hawai`i Hilo baseball team on Friday night at Totman Stadium, where the Vulcans fell to host California Baptist twice by just one digit, 9-8 and 2-1.
Two totally different games ended up with the same result—the Lancers winning to improve to 31-15 on the season and to 22-10 in the Pacific West Conference. UH Hilo will return home with an 8-24 overall mark and a 8-22 ledger in league action.
A walk-off home run stunned the Vulcans in the first game, and in the nightcap the Lancers broke a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning of a seven inning contest to come up big twice on Senior Day.
In the first game, the Vulcans pounded out a season-high 15 hits and led for a good chunk of the game. Maybe even more impressive, they had five of those hits off the reigning PacWest, west region and national pitcher of the week, Garett King.
The Nebraska transfer, who came into the game with a 7-1 record and 1.96 ERA, had his shortest outing of the season against the Vulcans. He lasted just four innings, giving up five hits and four runs.
Kyle Yamada got things started against King and the Lancers, singling in the top of the first. A walk to
Phillip Steering was next, followed by a double steal to put two runners in scoring position. Shortstop
Jacob Grijalva followed with a double to score both and give UHH a 2-0 lead.
The Lancers would answer back to tie the game, but the Vulcans took the lead again in the third when Yamada singled again, as did Steering. On cue, Grijalva hit another two-bagger to make the count 4-2.
That lead held until the fifth when CBC scored three times, two runs of which came off a BJ Porter home run. The Vulcans pulled to within one run in the top of the sixth when BJ Freitas singled, ditto for
Jonathan Segovia. Freitas then came home on
Luke Van-Artsen's single to make it 6-5, Lancers.
UHH then took the lead in the seventh after singles by
Cole Nagamine and
Austin Forney put runners on base. A fielder's choice brought home Nagamine and a Segovia base hit scored Forney to turn the board to 7-6, Vulcans. UHH made it 8-6 in the eighth when Steering tripled and crossed home on Forney's base knock (8-6).
In the eighth, the Lancers loaded the bases and scored a run on a sacrifice fly (8-7), but reliever Deric Valoroso came in to get the next two outs to send the game to the ninth. Valoroso got the first out of the ninth, but a single brought the winning run to the plate, and win it John Glenn did with a game-ending blast over the left field fence to send his teammates streaming onto the field.
Yamada had three hits in the game for UH Hilo, while Grijalva was 2-for-2 with two doubles, four RBI and two walks. Forney and Segovia also had two hits. Tommy Bell had four hits in the game for CBU.
In the second game, freshman pitcher
Dylan Spain went toe-to-toe in a duel with CBU's Andrew Bash. Both teams scored in the first inning, but Spain and Bash put up zeros after that until the bottom of the sixth.
In the sixth, Bryce Macy doubled and Macy followed with a single. Glenn then drove in what would prove to be the winning run again with a fielder's choice.
In the last hurrah for UHH, Forney got things started with a single and Freitas moved him to second with a bunt. But Bash was able to get the final two outs of the game on ground balls to close the door on the Vulcan hopes.
Spain was the hard-luck loser (1-4) despite only giving up six hits in six innings. He gave up just two runs, didn't walk a batter and struck out three. Bash (4-4) was just a bit better, going seven innings, allowing four hits, one run, one walk and he fanned five.
Yamada was 2-for-2 with a double, giving him five hits on the day. Forney had two hits (four for the evening). Macy had two hits for CBU, both doubles, and scored both of their runs.
The Vulcans will return to Hilo for their final four home games of the season, hosting Dixie State for doubleheaders on Tuesday (3 pm) and Wednesday (noon). UH Hilo will honor their eight seniors after the second game on Wednesday.
