HONOLULU – In a classic pitcher's duel where both offenses struggled to find their rhythm, the Hawai'i baseball team came up just short in a 3-2 loss against No. 7 Oregon State before a sold-out Les Murakami Stadium Saturday night.
Both teams were held scoreless through the first three innings, but the 'Bows broke the silence in the fourth inning.
Jared Quandt roped a line drive down the right-field line for a sliding double. With one out and a 2-2 count,
Itsuki Takemoto came through with a sharp grounder that squeaked past a diving first baseman, plating Quandt for the first run of the game.
In the fifth, Hawai'i added to its lead.
Jordan Donahue led off with a hustle double into the right-center gap, igniting the offense once more. After a pinch-hit walk by
Aidan Kuni,
Matthew Miura stepped up and grounded into a fielder's choice, beating out a double play and allowing Donahue to score from third and push the lead to 2-0.
Sophomore left-hander
Sebastian Gonzalez kept the Beavers in check through five solid innings, scattering a few baserunners while working out of trouble. But Oregon State finally broke through in the sixth. After a walk and a single chased Gonzalez from the game, reliever
Freddy Rodriguez entered and gave up a three-run home run to dead center, flipping the scoreboard and giving OSU a 3-2 lead it wouldn't relinquish.
Despite the setback, Rodriguez bounced back and delivered three gutsy innings out of the bullpen, including a perfect eighth inning where he struck out the top three batters in the Oregon State lineup. Magdaleno followed in the ninth with a dominant 1-2-3 frame, fanning two Beavers and giving Hawai'i one final chance to rally.
Hawai'i had the tying run on second with one out, but a deep flyout to the warning track followed by a strikeout ended their hopes of a comeback.
The two teams continue their series Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Sunday's game is already sold out, however fans can still purchase select tickets online through SeatGeek, or buy standing room tickets at the door. Tickets are still available for Monday's game, including a $5 upper level ticket deal.
