RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Hawai'i baseball team dropped a 13-inning marathon at UC Riverside, 4-3 Saturday at the Riverside Sports Complex to even the series between the two teams at a game apiece.
The Highlanders' Robert Pitts came through with a runner on second and one out, delivering his fifth hit of the day to hand the Rainbow Warriors their third loss of the year. The loss also snapped UH's seven-game winning streak in extra-inning games with the last defeat in extra frames coming last year vs. Ole Miss.
Both starting pitchers were in command early on, as UH's
Itsuki Takemoto and UCR's Kurt Marton kept the game scoreless through five. Takemoto ended up working six innings with five strikeouts and no walks while giving up a run on four hits, and has worked five or more innings in all four of his starts.
The two teams finally got on the board in the sixth inning, with each side plating one run.
Elijah Ickes did the job for the Rainbow Warriors, delivering a two-out RBI single up the middle to put Hawai'i in front. The Highlanders came right back with a two-out run-scoring double in the bottom half to tie it up at one.
UH again vaulted back in front in the seventh when
Hunter Faildo came through with another clutch two-out knock to make it 2-1. That lead also ended up being short lived as UCR would jump in front in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on a wild pitch and throwing error to take a 3-2 advantage.
Down to their final two outs down a run in the ninth,
Draven Nushida got things going with a one-out single before advancing to second on a balk.
Kamana Nahaku then delivered a single through the right side that scored Nushida and tied things up at three and send it to extras.
Nushida led the way offensively going 3-for-5 with a double and run scored while
Isaiah Magdaleno continued his strong start to the season on the mound, throwing three scoreless frames with five strikeouts to keep extending the game in extras.
The Rainbow Warriors and Highlanders continue their series Saturday at 10 a.m. HT.
