HONOLULU – A doubleheader sweep for the University of Hawai'i baseball team helped secure a its third Big West Conference series of the season against UC Davis on Saturday. The Rainbow Warriors (19-14, 11-12 Big West) beat the Aggies (10-27, 5-18 Big West) 8-3 and 7-2 in the two games.
 
Game 1:
A five-run second inning and six runs in the first two innings helped mute any Aggie threat early.
 
Small ball in the first inning plated shortstop Kole Kaler after he doubled to open the inning. A sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly scored the opening run.
 
Similar antics started the big inning in the second inning. Third baseman Stone Miyao singled to open the inning, was bunted over by catcher Tyler Murray and then scored on a single by second baseman Aaron Ujimori. Kaler used his second double in as many at bats to drive in Ujimori from first.
 
Left fielder Scotty Scott drove Kaler in on a single before getting caught in no-mans-land between first and second for the second out of the inning.
 
Demeter kept the line moving with a single of his own. First baseman Alex Baeza dropped a single in front of the left fielder which got passed the Aggie defender, scoring Demeter. Fogel capped the inning with a single to score Baeza from second.
 
Hawaii scored singular runs in the fifth and sixth on fielder's choice plays and UC Davis errors.
 
Sophomore Cade Halemanu had a career-high day with nine strikeouts on 109 pitches. Halemanu grinded over 7.0 innings on just four hits before giving way to freshman Connor Harrison. Harrison made his first appearance since March 28 and posted his second scoreless outing of the year.
 
Baeza finished the game with four hits, and had four fellow 'Bows join him with multiple hits.
 
Game 2:
Designated hitter Dustin Demeter hit his third home run in five games and second in as many days when he hit a solo home run in the first inning. Demeter was joined by Miyao who hit is first career home run in the seventh inning. The two-homer day was the third multi-home run game of the season for Hawai'i.
 
The Rainbow Warriors scored three runs in the fourth inning and a singular run in the sixth to combat UC Davis' two runs in the fifth, and slithered out of pressure in the top of the seventh inning.
 
Sophomore Li'i Pontes had a season-best six strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work. Junior Buddie Pindel spun his fifth scoreless outing this year while picking up a strikeout in his 4.0 innings out of the bullpen.
 
Demeter and center fielder Adam Fogel each had three hit games, while Demeter, Miyao and catcher Nainoa Cardinez each had two-RBI games. Cardinez drove in his first-career RBI's in the fourth inning on a bases loaded single.
 
Fogel finished the day with six total hits, Miyao, Demeter and Baeza finished with four hits over the two games and Demeter and Miyao led the team with three RBI each over the two games.
 
Hawai'i will look to win their first Sunday game in Big West play on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. HT on Spectrum Sports. The Rainbow Warriors' starter is still TBA.