HONOLULU – The Hawai'i baseball team extended its season by at least one more game, locking up a spot in the Big West Championship with a 13-2 rout of UC San Diego on Senior Day Sunday at Les Murakami Stadium.
The Rainbow Warriors advanced to the Big West postseason tournament behind a monster day from senior
Jordan Donahue, who went 4-for-5 with two homers including a third inning grand slam that broke things open. Donahue also scored three runs, drove in five and stole home.
Three Hawai'i pitchers combined to hold the Tritons to just two runs on five hits in the win or go home game.
Sebastian Gonzalez got the start and pitched four innings of two-run ball before
Freddy Rodriguez went four shutout frames with three strikeouts to earn the win.
Isaiah Magdaleno entered in the ninth and set UCSD down in order to secure the victory.
UH came roaring back from an early 1-0 deficit with a run in the second to tie it up and a huge six-run third inning to take the lead.
Xaige Lancaster got the scoring started with an RBI single in the second inning and
Jared Quandt gave Hawai'i the lead an inning later with a run-scoring knock.
After
Kamana Nahaku drew a bases loaded walk, Donahue came up and ripped a 2-2 pitch over the right field wall for a grand slam – his first homer of the year – to put UH ahead 7-1 after three innings.
Donahue added to his huge day in the fifth inning, crushing a no-doubt solo shot out to right field for his second long ball of the day to make it 8-2.
Matthew Miura padded the lead later in the inning with a two-out RBI knock to stretch the lead to 9-2 through five.
In the seventh, Donahue came across to score when he broke for home on a squeeze bunt attempt to make it 10-2 and a wild pitch and
Hunter Faildo two-run single in the eighth capped off the rout.
Ben Zeigler-Namoa, who was recognized in the postgame senior ceremony, turned in a huge day at the plate going 4-for-4 with two runs scored while Quandt delivered a 2-for-5 day on his Senior Day. Faildo – another senior honoree – went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
The Rainbow Warriors will take on UC Santa Barbara in a single elimination game Wednesday at the Big West Championship in Fullerton, Calif. First pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m. HT.
