MARCO GARCIA /SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Hawaii Rainbow Warriors utility Itsuki Takemoto (17 ) throws a pitch at Les Murakami Stadium.
MARCO GARCIA /SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Hawaii Rainbow Warriors utility Itsuki Takemoto (17 ) throws a pitch at Les Murakami Stadium.
The Hawaii baseball team’s ninth-inning rally fell short in Sunday’s 5-4 loss to Long Beach State at Les Murakami Stadium.
A crowd of 2, 653 saw the Dirtbags score three unearned runs in the third and then add two insurance runs in the ninth for a 5-1 lead.
In his ninth UH at bat, pinch hitter Will Bowen pounded a solo homer over the fence in right field and onto Lower Campus Drive to cut the deficit to 5-2.
One out after Shunsuke Sakaino singled, Maui-reared Ka ‘imi Kahalekai was summoned to replace reliever Tyler Gebb. Kahalekai walked Matthew Miura and gave up a single to Ben Zeigler-Namoa to load the bases. Kamana Nahaku popped up for the second out. Then Jared Quandt blooped an opposite-field single to drive home Sakaino and Miura, and send Zeigler-Namoa to third.
Instead of intentionally walking left-swinging Draven Nushida to create force-outs at every base, LBSU head coach TJ Bruce put his trust in right-handed Kahalekai. In Saturday’s game, Kahalekai came back from a 3-0 count to strike out Nushida on three fastballs. This time, Kahalekai mixed in sliders before striking out Nushida with a fastball to end the game. It was the second save in a row for Kahalekai, a 2024 Kamehameha-Maui graduate who was recruited by UH after de-committing from Texas.
“I didn’t even know if I was facing him again, ” Kahalekai said. “I feel every hitter is the same hitter. I go in with my best stuff, and pray the best will happen. … I was throwing sliders. I didn’t throw any sliders (on Saturday ). I threw sliders today, and then beat him with the fastball.”
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Of the late surge, UH coach Rich Hill said, “great rally. That’s a real staple of this team. We don’t give up. Obviously, the Manoa Magic is very real. Having a ninth-inning rally right there and having the tying run at third base and the go-ahead run at first, great testament to the character of this team.”
In losing two of three this weekend, the’Bows failed to extend their streak of winning 11 home series in a row. The’Bows, who fell to 22-8 and 9-6 in the Big West, depart Monday for an eight-game, two-week road trip.
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