LIVE BLOG: LMU 9, Hawaii 3, F

Hawaii has its final nonconference tuneup today before opening Big West Conference action on Friday.

LINEUPS

Hawaii
Stephen Ventimilia, 2B
Alan Baldwin, RF
Kaeo Aliviado, CF
Eric Ramirez, 1B
Alex Sawelson, DH
Marcus Doi, LF
Steven Pollakov, C
J.J. Kitaoka, 3B
Jacob Sheldon-Collins, SS
LHP Andrew Jones (0-2, 5.56 ERA, 11 1/3 IP, 13 K)

LMU
Austin Miller, CF
David Fletcher, SS
Tanner Donnels, 1B
David Edwards, DH
Ryan Erickson, RF
Billy Wilson, LF
Ted Boeke, 3B
Kent Burckle, 2B
Chris Barnett, C
RHP Sean Watkins (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 1/3 IP, 16 K).

It will be interesting to see how this lineup hits in a week game against LMU, although the Lions’ starter, Sean Watkins, hasn’t given up an earned run in 10 1/3 innings pitched with 16 strikeouts. Must be nice to be able to start a guy like that in a midweek game.

BOTTOM 1: Jones opens the game with a four-pitch walk and a mound visit from Mike Trapasso just five pitches in. Jones gets Miller caught in a rundown between first and second on a pickoff attempt but Miller beats the throw back to first. UH doesn’t get an out there and then Fletcher with a double down the left-field line to put runners on second and third. Donnels with a sacrifice fly to right-center to score the first run. Edwards rips a base hit back up the middle and it’s 2-0. Edwards then steals second without a throw. Erickson strikes out looking at a curveball. Jones issues another walk and then another just befuddling play. Edwards takes off for third and Jones steps off. Edwards stops to go back to second but Jones just casually throws it to third and allows the runner to get back safely. Another puzzling defensive sequence. Boeke caught looking at a curve for strike 3 to end it.

BOTTOM 2: Juliene Jones in for Andrew Jones, whose line is 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K. Burckle starts the inning with a base hit back up the middle. Barnett with a line-drive single over Ventimilia’s head at second to put runners on the corners. Miller scores another on an RBI fielder’s choice. Fletcher draws a walk and it’s just a disaster from the opening pitch for UH. Donnels walks to load the bases and another UH pitching change already. Alex Hatch in. He gets a strikeout of Edwards but Erickson clears the bases with a three-run double. Boeke almost goes deep with two outs but settles for a two-run double. RBI single for Burckle. Strikeout ends it.

Hawaii’s pitching lines after 2:
A. Jones 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
J. Jones 1/3 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
A. Hatch 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

TOP 3: Steven Pollakov leads off with UH’s first hit and Sheldon-Collins beats out an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out. Ventimilia stares at three straight strikes and Baldwin strikes out swinging.

BOTTOM 3: Josh Pigg is the fourth pitcher for UH now. Watching on the LMU video feed and Aliviado just made a full-speed diving catch in right-center to rob a hit. He makes it look too easy. Pigg gives up a hit and a walk but puts up a zero finally for the ‘Bows.

TOP 4: Aliviado is hit by a pitch to start the inning and scores on a one-out single by Doi to center. Two on, one out for Pollakov, who flies out to center. Kitaoka swings at two pitches in the dirt and strikes out.

BOTTOM 4: Eric Gleese now in and gets a nice 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout.

Aliviado ends the fifth with another diving catching, this time to his right. He is just amazing out there in center. Such a weapon.

BOTTOM 6: Cody Culp is the sixth UH pitcher of this game. This is a big inning for him as he looks to get back on track after losing a 4-0 lead last week to New Mexico State. Culp had allowed only four earned runs in his first nine outings before giving up eight in back-to-back appearances against Oklahoma and New Mexico State. LMU loads the bases on two hits and a walk but he gets a big strikeout of Burckle for the second out. Barnett flies out to center and Culp gets the Lions to leave the bases loaded.

TOP 7: UH puts together some two-out hits. Freshman Johnny Weeks singles with one out and Ventimilia with a nice rip back up the middle to load the bases. Baldwin draws a walk and then Aliviado scores two with a single to make it 9-3. Runners move up on a wild pitch. Ramirez draws a walk to load the bases for Sawelson. Long mound visit and Sawelson hits the first pitch to third for a fielder’s choice to end it. We’ve seen that before.

BOTTOM 7: Von Ruden next up for UH. He hits a batter but strands him on third.

Torres-Costa in for the eighth and strikes out two, gives up a hit and then gets a groundout. That’s one of the most important three outs of this game tonight. Expect him to be the guy coming out of the bullpen with a ninth-inning lead in conference.

FINAL: LMU 9, Hawaii 3. UH will be 9-16 heading into Big West play, second-worst record among conference schools. Sheldon-Collins 2-4, run; Aliviado 1-4, run, 2 RBIs. Andrew Jones (0-3) 1-2-2-2-2-2 the loss.