SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Shunsuke Sakaino smacked a go-ahead two-run homer in the 10th inning to lead the Hawai'i baseball team to a 4-2, come-from-behind win over Cal Poly in Friday's season opener.
Trailing 2-1 heading into the ninth,
Itsuki Takemoto came through with a sacrifice fly to help send it to extras, when Sakaino belted a no-doubt shot out to right field with two outs to hand the Mustangs their first Big West loss of the year.
Isaiah Magdaleno again delivered big innings for the 'Bows getting the win pitching a scoreless ninth and 10th inning to earn the win. He wiggled out of a bases-loaded, one out jam in the ninth to force extras and closed things out with his third strikeout of the night to end it.
Mustangs starter Griffin Naess kept UH off balance all game long, going eight innings with seven strikeouts and just one walk. He allowed just one run while scattering four hits as he held the 'Bows to just 1-for-9 with runners on base.
Takemoto delivered a solid effort in a start, working 5.1 innings and scattering six hits while giving up only a pair of solo homers. Ronan then relieved Takemoto with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth and wiggled out of the jam before, going on the work the final 2.2 innings with three strikeouts.
The Mustangs got their only offense of the day on solo homers in the third and sixth innings. The first came courtesy of Cam Hoiland to break a scoreless tie, and Alejandro Garza smacked a leadoff homer in the sixth to make it 2-1 to answer back after Hawai'i tied it up in the fourth.
Pitching on both sides dominated until the ninth, when
Ben Zeigler-Namoa led off the with a single and came around to score on a shallow sacrifice fly to left field on which the relay throw was mishandled at shortstop.
The win marked UH's eighth of the year when tied or trailing heading into the ninth inning, with four of those now coming with Hawai'i facing a deficit going into the final frame. Sakaino's homer was his third go-ahead or game-tying hit in the ninth inning or later this year, also delivering a walk-off vs. Marshall on opening weekend and a game-tying ninth inning homer at CSUN on Mar. 30.
The 'Bows and Mustangs continue their series Saturday at 12 p.m. HT.
