HONOLULU – Working behind one of the best pitching performances in the coach
Mike Trapasso era, the University of Hawai'i (8-5) baseball team claimed a 4-1 victory over Sacred Heart (5-8), Friday night at Les Murakami Stadium.
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When Sacred Heart reeled off three consecutive singles in the second inning for the game's first score, the Pioneers likely saw a different trajectory for Friday's contest than what materialized over the next seven frames. Starting in the third, the Pioneers ran up against a buzzsaw in settled-in starter
Brendan Hornung (1-2), who retired the next 22 consecutive batters after the score for his first win of the year.
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Amidst that stretch, the right-handed senior hurler fanned seven consecutive Pioneer batters, en route to 14 total strikeouts – tying Scott Kuzminsky (2014) for the most strikeouts in the Trapasso era.
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While Hornung was knocking down batter after batter, the Rainbow Warriors provided enough clutch run support to earn the squad's fourth consecutive win.
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Although SHU scored first on a Jake Friar RBI single in the second, Hawai'i's response was prompt and decisive. In the bottom of the inning, third baseman
Josh Rojas led off with a single and reached third on a wild pitch, evening the score on a Logan Poulson RBI groundout.
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Hawai'i assumed the lead in the third, as shortstop
Dustin Demeter roped a double over the bag at first to send
Dylan Vchulek home for the 2-1 advantage. Rojas added an RBI in the fifth on a single that sent Demeter home and
Johnny Weeks capped off the scoring, taking the plate on a wild pitch after recording a season-first triple.
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For the Pioneers, starter Brent Teller (1-1) took the loss, throwing 5.0 innings with three hits and three runs allowed.
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At the plate, it was Rojas' night, as the senior reached on all four plate appearances, walking twice and going 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI.
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With the 4-1 win over Sacred Heart, the Rainbow Warriors hold a 2-0 advantage in the four-game series, and have put away four consecutive wins back to last week in Minneapolis.
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The Rainbow Warriors and Pioneers return to action on Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium in the third game of the series. First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.
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