HONOLULU – Led by a seven-run eighth inning and more stellar pitching, the Hawai'i baseball team won its ninth straight game and 30th overall with an 11-2 victory over UC Riverside in the series opener Thursday at Les Murakami Stadium.
The Rainbow Warriors now own the nation's longest active winning streak by themselves, breaking a tie for that title with Grand Canyon, while reaching 30 wins for the first time since 2012. It's also UH's longest winning streak since Apr. 4-20, 2021.
The 'Bows jumped out to the lead right from the start, scoring a run in the first and three in the second to go up 4-0.
Austin Machado put UH on the board three batters in with an RBI single, plating
Jake Tsukada to make it 1-0.
Jordan Donahue made it 3-0 on a jam-shot two-run double in the second before Tsukada put the 'Bows up four with a sacrifice fly.
UCR answered with a two-run homer in the fourth to make it a 4-2 game, where it would remain until the eighth when Hawai'i broke it open with seven runs.
Ben Zeigler-Namoa got the scoring started with a one-out single through the right side to make it 5-2.
Naighel Ali'i Calderon followed one batter later with an RBI double to stretch the lead to 6-2 before a balk put UH up five.
Elijah Ickes made it 8-2 with a triple that landed right on the right field line and a safety squeeze, bases loaded walk and sacrifice fly capped off the scoring.
Four UH pitchers combined to hold the Highlanders to just two runs on eight hits while striking out 11 and walking none. It marks the fifth time this season that Hawai'i pitching has surrendered no walks in a game and the fourth time that the 'Bows have had double-digit strikeouts without walking a batter.
Connor Harrison struck out a career-high six batters over four innings of work before turning it over to reigning Big West Pitcher of the Week
Alex Giroux in the fifth. Giroux shut out UCR over the next 3.2 frames with four strikeouts before giving way to
Harrison Bodendorf, who picked up a strikeout to end the eighth.
Tai Atkins worked a scoreless ninth as UH lowered its ERA to 2.46 during its winning streak.
Tsukada led the way offensively going 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs while Zeigler-Namoa turned in a multi-hit game going 2-for-4. Ickes also recorded a two-hit game and is 7-for-10 over the last three games.
The two teams continue their series Friday with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch at Les Murakami Stadium.
