Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Hawai'i Hilo Vulcans Athletics

HAWAI'I HILO VULCANS ATHLETICS
Phillip Steering
7
Winner UH Hilo UHH-BB-1 16-23, 12-19 PacWest
6
Holy Names HNU-BASE 10-33, 6-27 PacWest
Winner
UH Hilo UHH-BB-1
16-23, 12-19 PacWest
7
Final
6
Holy Names HNU-BASE
10-33, 6-27 PacWest
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UH Hilo UHH-BB-1 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 9 3
Holy Names HNU-BASE 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 6 7 2

W: Asuncion, Nick (1-0) L: Doyle, Jimmy (2-3) S: Kea, John (7)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Vulcans build early lead, survive Hawk comeback

ALAMEDA, Calif.--Hawai`i Hilo a built big lead early and then withstood a late Holy Names rally to defeat the Hawks, 7-6, in the first game of a four-game series on Thursday night at the College of Alameda.

Hawai`i Hilo improved to 16-23 on the season and to 12-19 in the Pacific West Conference. Holy Names is now 10-33 overall and 6-27 in the conference.

The Vulcans led 7-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth, only to see the Hawks rally back with five runs of their own, coming just one digit away from tying the contest.

UH Hilo scored a pair of runs in the first inning on RJ Romo's two-run double, and added three more in the second stanza when Phillip Steering doubled in two runners and Jaryn Kanbara lofted a sacrifice fly. UH Hilo led 5-1 in the fourth inning when Steering doubled again, as did Kanbara to bring home two more plate crossings to make the count 7-1.

But the Hawks erupted in the bottom of the fifth. Vulcan pitcher Kekai Mahiko, making his first start of season, had given up just two hits and no earned runs to that point, but left after giving up a pair of hits with one out in the fifth. The Hawks would go on to score five times on three hits, the biggest blow a two-run double by Cameron Trudel.

Vulcan reliever Cole Nakachi came on to cool off the Hawks, pitching 2.2 innings and allowing only one hit. John Kea then earned his seventh save of the year in the ninth, giving up a lead-off hit but fanning the next three batters he faced.

Nicholas Asuncion got the win on the mound, pitching two-thirds of an inning in the fifth to spell Mahiko and Brandyn Lee-Lehano. Mahiko, who didn't pitch the required five innings to get credit for the win, tallied 4.1 innings and gave up four hits, two earned runs, six walks and three strikeouts. He threw 90 pitches in by far his longest outing of the year.

The Vulcans had nine hits in the game, three of them by the red-hot Steering. The senior first baseman went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI. He also walked and was hit by a pitch. Edison Sakata and Dylan Sugimoto had two hits, with both of Sugimoto's going for two bases. Six of UH Hilo's nine hits were two-baggers. 

Game two of the series will be on Friday night at 5 pm Pacific at the College of Alameda.
Print Friendly Version