DAVIS, Calif. – The Hawai'i baseball team was unable to overcome a late-inning offensive surge by UC Davis, falling to the Aggies, 4-2, on Saturday evening at Dobbins Stadium to even their weekend series.
Junior right-hander
Hekili Robello (8-4) suffered the loss after turning in 6.2 innings of work. The UH starter allowed four runs on six hits and struck out five without issuing a walk. UC Davis starter Jack Pezzolo (2-2) earned the victory, stifling the Rainbow Warriors over 5.1 scoreless innings while scattering just three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
The Aggies (25-25, 13-16 Big West) struck first in the bottom of the third inning. Joey Wright was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a double down the left-field line by Zach Story, and scored on a Tyler Howard RBI groundout.
Robello and the Hawai'i defense kept the game at a tight 1-0 margin until the bottom of the seventh inning, when UC Davis finally broke through. Jaxon Murphy brought home the first run of the inning on an RBI single. Two batters later, Braydon Wooldridge provided the decisive blow by launching a two-run home run to right field, pushing the Aggies' advantage to 4-0 and ending Robello's night on the mound.
The Rainbow Warriors (25-20, 14-12 Big West) refused to go quietly, staging a rally in the top of the eighth inning.
Draven Nushida and
Gabe Wright laced back-to-back singles, and both advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Following a strikeout, senior
Ben Zeigler-Namoa delivered a clutch, two-out, two-run double to right field, bringing both runners home and cutting the deficit in half to 4-2.
However, UC Davis reliever Rowen Barnes entered the game and quickly shut the door. Barnes struck out
Mana Lau Kong to end the eighth-inning threat before retiring the 'Bows in order in the ninth to secure his 11th save of the season.
Nushida paced the Hawai'i offense, finishing 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base. Hawai'i relievers
Ryan Inouye and
Grant Garman combined to throw 1.1 hitless and scoreless innings out of the bullpen to keep the game within reach.
The Rainbow Warriors and Aggies will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. HT.
