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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
While Hornung was knocking down batter after batter, the Rainbow Warriors provided enough clutch run support to earn the squad's fourth consecutive win.
 
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.
 
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.
 
For the Pioneers, starter Brent Teller (1-1) took the loss, throwing 5.0 innings with three hits and three runs allowed.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.