HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i baseball team gave up six runs in the final two innings in a narrow 6-5 loss at Les Murakami Stadium on Sunday. The Rainbow Warriors led 4-0 from the third inning through the eighth but couldn't secure their second shutout of the season.
Hawai'i's starter, junior
Brandon Ross, got stronger as the game went on and posted a career-high 7.0 innings pitched in the outing. Ross fanned five on the day and left with a 4-0 lead.
In his first D-I start, redshirt senior
Ryder Kuhns got his first base hit, a double, and RBI as a Rainbow Warrior.
For the fifth straight game, the Bows scored the majority of their runs in the first three innings, with 21 of their 23 runs over those games coming in the first three innings.
Sophomore right fielder
Tyler Best continued his hot streak in the top of the lineup with his second two-hit game in as many days. Best drove in a run and also scored in the game.
Hawai'i jumped out to a 4-0 lead by manufacturing a run in the first, two in the second and another run in the third.
Back-to-back singles to start the game by Best and junior shortstop
Kole Kaler started the inning for Bows. Two batters later in his first D-I start, Kuhns plated Best via a sacrifice fly.
In the second inning, redshirt junior left fielder
Daylen Calicdan led off with a 13 pitch at bat before singling to right field. Singles by junior center fielder
Matt Wong and Best's second hit of the day plated Calicdan. Wong scored on a failed pick-off attempt of second base with the bases loaded.
Kuhns started off the third inning with a double and scored on consecutive ground outs for Hawai'i's fourth run.
Hawai'i added what looked like an insurance run in the eighth inning but back-to-back three-run innings in the eighth and ninth from Washington State gave the Cougars the lead.
Best and Kaler led the team on offense in the series, with Best hitting .500 (5-for-10) and Kaler hitting .455 (5-for-11). Best scored four runs and had two doubles, Kaler added three RBI's.
The Rainbow Warriors will head to Nashville to take on the defending national champions, Vanderbilt February 28 - March 1 in the first three-game series of the year for Hawaii.