ALAMEDA, Calif--Rewriting the script slightly for each game, the Hawai`i Hilo Vulcans followed the same basic storyline by winning two more one-run games over the Holy Names Hawks on Saturday afternoon at Alameda College, 6-5 and 2-1.
The Vulcans swept the four games against the Hawks, each of the contests decided by just one run. UH Hilo has now won five straight games, improving to 19-23 on the season and to 15-19 in the Pacific West Conference. Holy Names is now 10-36 overall and 6-30 in PacWest play.
In the first game, the Vulcans built a 4-0 lead before holding off the late-charging Hawks, 6-5. In the second contest, freshman
Travis Burleson went the distance and was just one out away from recording a shutout before settling for the 2-1 final.
In the nightcap, Burleson and HNU's Aiden McIntyre were locked up in a pitcher's duel with neither one blinking through nearly three innings. Holy Names Jahshua Jones gets credit for the first hit of the game in the third inning, which was still scoreless.
The Vulcans got their first hit off of McIntyre in the fourth, and also their first run.
Phillip Steering worked a two-out walk and
RJ Romo followed with UHH's first base knock,
Jaryn Kanbara also walked to load the bases, and Mano Manago followed with another free pass to chase home Steering. The Vulcans made it 2-0 in the fifth when
Edison Sakata singled and stole second base, with
Kyle Yamada singling him to third. Steering laced a single to right field to plate Sakata, making the count 2-0.
The extra run would prove valuable, despite how well Burleson was throwing. With two outs in the seventh and final inning, pinch-hitter William Ruiz singled and Burleson then hit the next batter. Jones followed with his second hit of the game, bringing home Ruiz to make it 2-1. But Burleson locked in and struck out the final batter of the game, his eighth of the contest.
Burleson gave up six hits and only two walks to go with his eight K's. McIntyre fanned seven Vulcans, but also issued six walks.
In the opener, UH Hilo scored three runs in the second inning and one more in the third to tally a 4-0 lead. Romo had a double to start things off in the second, with Manago driving him home with a single. Sakata and
Kila Zuttermeister also had hits in the inning and Hawks helped the cause with an error. In the third inning, Steering doubled and stole third base and then scored on
Edwin Stanberry's sacrifice fly.
Starter
Kyle Alcorn then ran into control problems in the bottom of the fourth, walking three Hawks, unleashing two wild pitches and he gave up one hit. Before the inning was over, three Hawks had scored and
Drew Ichikawa entered the game from the bullpen with the score now 4-3.
UH Hilo added insurance in the fifth when Romo singled and eventually came around to score, and Yamada would drive home another run in the sixth to make it 6-3. But Holy Names didn't die, scoring once in the seventh and used Ruiz's triple in the eighth to pull within a run at 6-5.
John Kea had come into the contest in the eighth and did what he had done two other times in the series--close the game for his ninth save of the year. He gave up just one hit in two innings and walked one batter. He got double play help in the eighth and produced three fly outs in the ninth.
Yamada, Romo and Sakata had two hits each in the game for the Vulcans, while Ichikawa got credit for the win (2-1). Steering was walked three times, and another two times in the first game. He was 2-for-4 on the day.
The Vulcans will bring their winning streak back to the Big Island, hosting Hawai`i Pacific in their final home games on Saturday (3 pm DH) and Sunday (noon single game).
