GAME 2: Fullerton 4, Hawaii 2

Saturday night marks the final home start this season for junior Tyler Brashears. It will likely also be his last at Les Murakami Stadium.

The transfer from Saddleback C.C. has made his one season with the Rainbow Warriors a special one. Entering the weekend, he was tied for the Big West lead with eight wins and was second in ERA at 1.83.

His eight wins are tied with Matt Sisto with the most by a UH pitcher since 2007.

Brashears has a year of eligibility remaining but should land in the top 10 rounds of the MLB First-Year Player Draft next month, which would likely signal the end to his college career.

If so, he can go out a big winner tonight. Not only would he clinch a winning record in conference play for Hawaii, he would equal the most wins by a UH pitcher since Mark Rodrigues went 9-3 in 2007. With one more start next week, he could become Hawaii’s first 10-game winner since 2006, when Steven Wright went 11-2. Wright now pitches for the Boston Red Sox.

LINEUPS

Cal State Fullerton (29-22, 14-5)
Josh Vargas, LF (.349, 6 2b, 2 3b, 34 runs)
Tyler Stieb, CF (.307, 9 2b, 1 3b, 23 runs)
David Olmedo-Barrera, DH (.344, 6 2b, 5 3b, 7 HR, 38 RBIs)
Tanner Pinkston, 1B (.234, 5 2b, 13 RBIs)
Jerrod Bravo, 3B (.294, 4 2b, 2 3b, 19 runs)
Dalton Blaser, RF (.250, 6 2b, 4 runs)
Timmy Richards, SS (.254, 7 2b, 1 3b, 22 runs)
A.J. Kennedy, C (.165, 7 2b, 16 RBIs)
Taylor Bryant, 2B (.232, 1 2b, 2 HR, 11 RBIs)
LHP John Gavin (6-2, 3.84 ERA, 68 IP, 53 K)

Hawaii (21-27, 12-10)
Stephen Ventimilia, 2B (.248, 6 2b, 1 3b, 25 runs)
Alan Baldwin, LF (.263, 5 2b, 2 3b, 1 HR, 17 RBIs)
Kaeo Aliviado, CF (.240, 8 2b, 1 3b, 4 HR, 28 RBIs)
Alex Sawelson, DH (.279, 8 2b, 1 3b, 20 RBIs)
Eric Ramirez, 1B (.276, 4 2b, 29 RBIs)
Matt Miller, RF (.267, 1 2b, 3 runs)
Chayce Ka’aua, C (.271, 9 2b, 16 RBIs)
Jonathan Weeks, 3B (.257, 1 2b, 1 3b, 7 RBIs)
Jacob Sheldon-Collins, SS (.291, 5 2b, 2 3b, 22 runs)
RHP Tyler Brashears (8-4, 1.83 ERA, 88 1/3 IP, 62 K)

Jim Leahey will present the Leahey Award to longtime equipment manager Ken Fujimura, who still helps out with the baseball team after retiring a few years ago. He first began working at UH in 1973.

TOP 1: Brashears gives up a leadoff single and Vargas steals second on the third high throw to second by Ka’aua in the series. UH gets out of it as Baldwin makes a great catch in foul territory near the fence to get the big-hitting Olmedo-Barrera out and then Brashears strikes out Pinkston on three pitches. 17 pitches for Brashears.

BOT 1: Gavin looks like he sits about mid-80s. He’s already thrown more balls to the first three hitters than Eshelman threw in the first three innings last night but UH is down in order.

TOP 2: 1-2-3 second for Brashears, who gets helped out by a BIG TIME diving stop and throw by Sheldon-Collins at short. That might be his top play of the season.

TOP 3: Brashears has only given up two hits and faced one over the minimum but boy the Titans make him work. 50 pitches through three innings.

BOT 3: Hawaii gets its first runners in scoring position in the series when Weeks draws a walk and Sheldon-Collins singles to left. It gets away from Vargas allowing the runners to move up. Fullerton playing at normal depth and Ventimilia hits a ball to first. Weeks decides to hold and Ventimilia is out easy. Baldwin gets ahold of one but it stays up to left and UH misses an opportunity there.

TOP 4: Stieb gets a leadoff single but Brashears gets a big fly out by Olmedo-Barrera and then Pinkston hits into the 4-6-3 double play. Good 10-pitch inning for Brashears.

BOT 4: Aliviado gets a leadoff single and Ramirez draws a one-out walk. Pinkston saves a run with a nice play at first to take a hit away from Miller and Ka’aua flies out to shallow right. ‘Bows leave two more on.

TOP 5: Jerrod Bravo draws a leadoff walk and takes second on a wild pitch as it looks Brashears and Ka’aua get crossed up. Blaser does a good job hitting a two-strike pitch to the right side to move Bravo to third. Fly ball to right and Miller, who doesn’t have much experience out there, holds up at the last minute and let’s it drop. RBI double scores the first Fullerton run as Richards makes it over to second. Ka’aua lays out to catch a foul bunt and can’t come up with it and turns out to cost UH as Brashears walks the No. 9 hitter and then gives up a two-out RBI double to Vargas to make it 2-0. Stieb flies out to left. Brashears at 94 pitches.

Brashears is through six innings but is probably done at 110 pitches. 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.

BOT 6: BALL DESTROYED. In his final home series, Kaeo Aliviado takes Gavin deep over the wall in right on a 3-1 pitch to score Hawaii’s first run of the series. Fifth homer of the year for Aliviado. Ramirez with a one-out single and Gavin is done. Sophomore Miles Chambers enters the game. Likely means Seabold will start Sunday. Miller is first-pitch swinging for the third time tonight and rips a grounder off the chest of Richards at short and everyone is safe. Ka’aua bloops a single into left and the bases are loaded with one out. Weeks with a grounder to third. Bravo touches the bag and fires a one-hopper to first. Ball beats Weeks but ump rules it took Pinkston off the bag and he’s called safe. We’re tied 2-2. Fullerton coach Rick Vanderhook out to argue. Umps will meet near home plate. He’s eventually called safe. Yes, we are tied 2-2. Sheldon-Collins pops out to center.

TOP 7: Brashears is off the hook for the loss as Andrew Jones enters in relief. Jones immediately in trouble as Estill, a pinch hitter, singles and then his throw to first on a bunt pulls Ramirez off first. Kennedy drops a bunt and Jones is tentative and lets it go and Weeks has to try and throw late and is safe. Hawaii giving this one right back after catching a break. Bases loaded, nobody out. Pinch hitter Jake Jefferies singles under the glove of Weeks at third to drive in two runs. Jones is out of it getting Olmedo-Barrera to hit into a double play but the damage is done.

Sophomore Quintin Torres-Costa gave up a hit and a walk in the ninth inning before striking out the side to extend his scoreless innings streak to 22.

In 12 BWC appearances, Torres-Costa has struck out 24 in 18 1/3 innings with eight saves and only nine hits allowed.

Senior Eric Gleese recorded the final out in the top of the eighth and hasn’t given up a run in 10 appearances this season spanning 12 innings.

BOT 9: Weeks with a leadoff single off Fullerton closer Tyler Peitzmeier, who pitched the eighth as well. Sheldon-Collins hits into a double play. Doi pinch hits for Ventimilia and grounds out to short. Fullerton clinches series with seventh-straight win over the ‘Bows.