LIVE BLOG: Hawaii 7, Hofstra 4 F

As bad of a loss as Wednesday night’s 3-2 clunker against Hofstra was, it would get worse if the Pride (1-3) could beat UH ace Tyler Brashears tonight in Game 2 of the series. Hawaii can still win the next four games of the series to get over .500 heading into a tough stretch of games on the road the next two weeks.

If you missed last night’s recap, you can read it here. And we also keep every result with a game recap and box score from the entire season posted on our UH baseball schedule page.

LINEUPS

Hofstra
Dalton Rouleau, SS
Steven Foster, CF
Brad Witkowski, 2B
Mat Annunziata, DH
David Leiderman, 3B
Ryan Donovan, 1B
Jake Fallon, LF
Jesse Russo, RF
Niko Hagerty, C
RHP Brian MacDonald

Hawaii
Stephen Ventimilia, 2B
Matt LoCoco, RF
Kaeo Aliviado, CF
Alex Sawelson, 3B
Eric Ramirez, 1B
Jordan Richartz, DH
Alan Baldwin, LF
Chayce Ka’aua, C
Jacob Sheldon-Collins, SS
RHP Tyler Brashears

Ka’aua will catch his sixth game in seven days. Hawaii came out to the field early and practiced defensive rundown drills before taking BP.

Brashears works a couple of three-ball counts but gets two strikeouts in an 18-pitch first inning. UH coming to bat. LoCoco draws a one-out walk and immediately swipes second base. Aliviado singles down the first-base line off the glove of Ryan Donovan at first. Runners at the corners now. Sawelson is hit by a pitch and they’re loaded for Ramirez. Ramirez jumps all over a 2-0 fastball and rips a ball down the right-field line for a two-run double as they hold Sawelson at third. Richartz with a hard-hit ball off the pitcher that goes for a single as it hits Ramirez who gets to third. Sawelson comes in to make it 3-0. Ramirez is safe because the ball hit the pitcher first. Baldwin brings in another run on an RBI groundout and UH is ahead 4-0 after 1.

David Leiderman with a one-out single for Hofstra in the second but Ka’aua fires a bullet right in the perfect spot down to second to throw him out stealing. You simply haven’t seen that from a UH catcher in five years.

Witkowski makes a great diving catch of a line drive hit by Sheldon-Collins to rob him of a hit. Sheldon-Collins hitting ninth for the first time this year. UH doesn’t score but LoCoco has a nice two-out hit back up the middle. That’s a good sign because if he can hit, he will play in the corner outfield every day with his defensive abilities.

Ramirez with a diving stop and throw to first for an out in the third. He’s going to be fun to watch. This is going to be an above-average defensive club. LoCoco runs down a ball in the gap to end a 1-2-3 third inning for Brashears.

Not much going on as UH has gotten a two-out baserunner in four straight innings but done nothing. Brashears has given up just two hits through five innings but labors a bit in the sixth. A one-out walk is his first of the game and he falls behind 2-0 to the next guy, bringing a visit from Mike Trapasso. Foster singles to right to put runners on the corners. Witkowski with a chopper to third and it goes over Sawelson’s head. Witkowski gets a double with it as Baldwin is slow to bring it in. Annunziata with a long fly ball deep to center that is caught for a sacrifice fly. Foster comes in to score. Brashears gets a big strikeout of Leiderman to end it. Hofstra cuts the lead in half as Brashears is at 82 pitches.

MacDonald is done after five innings for Hofstra. He gives up four runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts but did a good job settling down after the first inning. Adam Seibert, a tall freshman right-hander, is in. He is listed at 6-6.

Sheldon-Collins beats out a slow-hit grounder to second with two outs for a hit and Ventimilia rips a ball into the gap in right-center. Sheldon-Collins scored and Ventimilia just beats the throw at third for a triple. Brendan Mulligan in for Seibert and strikes out LoCoco to end it.

Brashears back out for the seventh and gives up a leadoff single. Tough foul pop way behind the bag at third and Sheldon-Collins comes over and makes an unbelievable diving catch. He’s down momentarily but hops up and stays in the game after a visit from the trainer and Trapasso. Unreal catch. Shallow pop in right field and LoCoco comes in to make a diving catch of his own. Another great play. Weiss with a pinch-hit infield single to bring the tying run to the plate with two outs. Wild pitch moves the runners up 90 feet. Brashears paints with an 0-2 fastball for a called third strike and he’s out of the inning.

Trapasso tested Brashears in that seventh inning. Wanted to see how he reacted to reaching close to 100 pitches (98 total) and he answered with a three-pitch strikeout to get out of the jam. Good sign for Brashears, who gives UH seven innings. I wouldn’t expect him back out for the eighth. He’s given up two runs on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

UH pours it on the in the seventh with two outs. Aliviado singles and Sawelson hits into a double play, but Ramirez gets his third hit and scored on a wild pitch. Ka’aua with a two-out hit to right and takes off for second. He’s in with an RBI double to make it 7-2.

Matt Valencia worked a 1-2-3 eighth and freshman Ben Mora in for his first outing for the ninth. Mora is a guy who has come in and made an impression on the coaching staff. Trapasso said he wanted to get him out on the mound as soon as possible in this series. Mora gives up two singles and Trapasso makes a quick visit. Russo pops to second but Hardardt singles to center to bring in a run with two outs. Rouleau follows with a single to center to bring in another run and that’s it for Mora. Cody Culp in. Foster flies out to right and it’s over. Culp gets his second save.