HONOLULU, Hawai`i—Dustin Demeter blasted a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning to send host Hawai`i to a stunning 5-4 comeback win over visiting Hawai`i Hilo on Friday night at Les Murakami Stadium.
Demeter, who had two of UH's five hits on the night, saved the game for the home team, who was just two outs away from being beaten in their season opener by sister school UH Hilo.
Jacob Igawa had a home run and two doubles for the Vulcans, and the UH Hilo pitching staff held host Hawai`i to just five hits, but the Rainbow Warriors were able to walk-off with the win.
UH Hilo is now 2-1 on the season. The Vulcans and Rainbow Warriors will square off again on Saturday at 1 p.m. in this two-game series.
Igawa had three of UH Hilo's eight hits, including a first-inning homer and doubles in the sixth and eighth innings. The Vulcan staff of
Kyle Alcorn,
Christian DeJesus,
Brandyn Lee-Lehano and
John Kea combined to keep the Rainbow Warrior scoring to a minimum, until Demeter's blast deep over the right field fence.
Long before Demeter's game winner, Igawa got the Vulcans on the board first with a two-run shot over the centerfield fence against Hawai`i starter Logan Paulsen. The sophomore transfer (Pacific Univ.) drove in
Rustin Ho, who had singled to give the Vulcans a 2-0 lead before the home team came to back.
Demeter got the Rainbow Warriors on the board in the bottom half with a RBI-double, and UH would score twice in the second on Tyler Best's two-run single off of Vulcan starter
Kyle Alcorn to take a 3-2 lead.
UHH would tie it in the third when
Lucas Sakay singled, stole second, moved to third on a fielder's choice and then scored on a passed ball (3-3).
Alcorn settled in after that for the next two innings, as did Paulsen. In the fifth, the Rainbow Warriors loaded the bases with no one out, all on walks. But DeJesus, out of the bullpen, worked out of the jam and would go on to pitch two innings without giving up a hit.
UH Hilo took the lead in the seventh.
Jaryn Kanbara and
Lawson Faria led off with singles, chasing Paulsen from the game. One out later, with the bases loaded after a walk, Sakay brought home the go-ahead run on what could have been an inning-ending double-play, but he was able to beat the throw and Kanbara scored (4-3).
DeJesus got the first UH out in the bottom of the seventh before Branydn Lee-Lehano came in to get the next two outs. In the bottom of the eighth, Alex Baeza laced the first hit for the Rainbow Warriors since the second inning, and a follow-up error by Lee-Lehano put two runners on base.
John Kea replaced his set-up man, and was able to get the next three outs.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kea got the first Rainbow Warrior to ground out. But a walk and then Demeter's blast changed the result in front of over 3,000 fans on the UH-Manoa campus.
The Vulcans and Rainbow Warriors, who had not played in Honolulu since 2006, will play under the sun on Saturday (1 pm). The game is available on ESPN Radio in Honolulu,
http://player.listenlive.co/27971
STATS TO COME SOON
