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HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (9-12) baseball team delivered the final win in the Chicago State (5-13) series in convincing fashion, building on a first-inning lead with a big-hitting back half to Sunday's non-conference contest at Les Murakami Stadium, coming away with the 14-0 win.
Tied for the second-most hits (16) for UH this season, the Rainbow Warriors went to work early, capitalizing on consecutive inning-opening walks by
Matt LoCoco and
Jacob Sheldon-Collins, as third baseman
Johnny Weeks struck first with an RBI groundout. First baseman
Eric Ramirez followed with an RBI single deep to right center, and catcher
Kekai Rios rounded out the frame with an RBI fielder's choice for the 3-0 advantage.
Making his first career start, Chicago-native left-hander
Patrick Martin provided a stalwart pitching performance to get the Rainbow Warriors started, going into the fifth with a no-hitter, allowing only a walk in the path before Chris Hipchen's fifth-inning single. The first-year sophomore went 5.0 innings before yielding to senior left-hander
Lawrence Chew.
As Chew went two full frames without a hit allowed, striking out three, the 'Bows finally broke open their lead further in the bottom of the seventh against first CSU reliever Noe Arteaga. Doi opened up the second scoring drive with a one-out RBI single. Rios tacked up two more with a double on the left field line for two RBI, while designated hitter
Ethan Lopez finished off the frame with an RBI single along the left line for the 7-0 lead.
Facing reliever Joe Baier, UH came on even stronger in the eighth, reeling off seven runs on five hits, courtesy of RBI from Doi, pinch hitter
David Noworyta, pinch hitter
Alex Sawelson, LoCoco and Weeks to transform the heavy advantage into a rout at 14-0.
Across the final two frames, the UH pitching staff held steady, as senior
Josh Pigg struck out the side in the eighth and
Kyle Mitchell shut the door in the ninth, securing the 3-1 series victory for UH, the second this season.
Martin (1-0) earned his first DI victory, allowing one hit with one walk and one strikeout.
For the Cougars, starter Josh Willis (0-1) took the loss, going 5.0 innings with five hits and three earned runs, striking out five and walking two.
At the plate, Doi went off, hitting 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Rios added three RBI on 1-for-3 hitting. Weeks was 2-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored, while Sheldon-Collins was 2-for-4 with two runs.
The Rainbow Warriors head into their fourth week of the homestand against Santa Clara, opening up a four-game set next Thursday, March 24, at Les Murakami Stadium. The Broncos (8-10) dropped a three-game home series versus San Francisco over the weekend, 2-1.
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