COSTA MESA, California – Vulcans came away with one victory in a long day of action as Hawai'i Hilo Baseball dropped a four-game series to Vanguard with two losses and a win on Saturday in Pacific West Conference play at Dean Harvey Field.
The first game was a continuation of Game 2 after being halted the previous day with the Lions leading, 6-3, in the bottom of the fourth inning. Vanguard managed to take the win by a score of 12-3. Hawai'i Hilo took Game 3 with a 9-6 victory before falling in the series finale, 7-3.
In the Game 3 victory, the Vulcans tallied up 14 hits with five extra-base hits. Freshman Kalei Alana had four RBI on three hits as Orlando Leon Jr. went the distance for the complete-game win.
Hawai'i Hilo moved to 4-12 in the PacWest (6-15 overall) as Vanguard moved to a 10-10 conference record (14-12 overall). The Vulcans are No. 11 in the conference standings with Vanguard slotted at No. 5.
UP NEXT: Thursday, March 20 (9 AM / NOON PT + NOON / 3 PM PT) vs No. 15 Point Loma (San Diego, California / Carroll B. Land Stadium)
GAME 2: HAWAI'I HILO 3, VANGUARD 12 (7 INNINGS)
- The score was tied up at 3-3 entering the bottom of the fourth. Vanguard plated three runs before play was halted and ended up adding four more runs to take a seven-run advantage.
- Vulcans had just one hit through the three innings of continuation play.
GAME 3: HAWAI'I HILO 9, VANGUARD 6
- Alana made his seventh start of the season and batted 3 for 5 with four RBI on a two-run homer in the T2, an RBI single in T3 and an RBI base hit in the T7.
- Mason Cook topped off a five-run top of the second frame with a two-run homer to left field.
- Mark Fedro also tallied three hits, scoring twice after a lead-off base hit in the T2 and a double in the T3.
- Arthur Soto had a pair of doubles, helping put the Vulcans on the scoreboard first with a two-out RBI double in the opening frame.
- In his third start of the season, Leon Jr. went the full 9.0 innings with a career-high eight strikeouts for the win.
GAME 4: HAWAI'I HILO 3, VANGUARD 7 (7 INNINGS)
- After falling into an early 3-0 hole, the Vulcans rallied back with a pair of runs in the T2 — a two-out two-RBI single by Vance Oshiro —and finally the game-tying run in the T6 — an RBI hit by Braeden Mondeau.
- Vanguard managed to respond in the bottom of the sixth with four runs.