LIVE BLOG: Oregon 3, Hawaii 2, F

Now that the monkey is off their back, can the ‘Bows earn a really tough split against a really good Oregon team?

Should be a very interesting game today for a UH team that ended its 13-game losing streak to the Ducks on Sunday. Because of the way the series has gone, outside of Cody Culp, who has been great, we haven’t seen a bunch of the new pitchers UH will need to count on this season out of the bullpen. Junior Kyle Von Ruden will start today’s game, but expect to see lefty Matt Valencia and Josh Pigg get a chance to throw as well. Even freshman Ben Mora could see action depending on how the game goes. A split would be an impressive start to the season for the ‘Bows, especially coming back from their opening-night jitters on Friday and Saturday’s heartbreaker.

Lineups and game updates will follow below. First pitch is 1:05 p.m.

LINEUPS

Oregon
Matt Eureste, 3B (.308, 2b, HR)
Mark Karaviotis, SS (.143, 2 runs)
Mitchell Tolman, 2B (.500. 2b, RBI)
Shaun Chase, C (.091)
Brandon Cuddy, 1B (.284, 4 2bs, 3b, 4 runs)
Phil Craig-St. Louis, DH (.500, 3 RBIs)
Nick Catalano, Cf (.333, HR, 2 RBIs)
Steven Packard, LF (.125, 2b, 2 runs)
Austin Grebeck, RF (.000)

Hawaii
Matt LoCoco, RF (.143, run)
Jacob Sheldon-Collins, SS (.182, 2b, run)
Kaeo Aliviado, CF (.200, 2 runs)
Alex Sawelson, 3B (.273, 3 RBIs)
Eric Ramirez, 1B (.333, 2 runs, 2 RBIs)
Jordan Richartz, DH (.500, 2b, 3 RBIs)
Alan Baldwin, LF (.250)
Chayce Ka’aua, C (.500, 2b, 3 RBIs)
JJ Kitaoka, 2B (.000)

Ventimilia out a second game in a row with the flu and Doi is out. Official word is day-to-day but I would expect him to be out for awhile.

Karaviotis draws a one-out walk but Von Ruden gets both Tolman and Chase to fly to center. Good start for Von Ruden. Catalano does a great job tracking LoCoco’s fly into the gap to make a running catch in left-center. Five-pitch inning for Karraker.

UH’s middle of the order back at it as Sawelson and Ramirez start the second with lasers into center for base hits. Runners at the corners and Richartz hits a grounder to third. Sawelson has to stay but the Ducks can’t turn two as Cuddy can’t pick the throw at first. Richartz was a big mistake as he gets picked off but Baldwin comes up clutch with an RBI single to left. Had to get a run there with first and third and nobody out. Ka’aua with a slow roller to second. Baldwin was going on the play and beats the ball to second. Throw to first skips past Cuddy and UH has men on second and third for Kitaoka, who grounds out to second.

Grebeck starts the third with a single but is thrown out at second by Von Ruden after trying to steal. Sawelson gets his second hit of the game in the third but UH strands two.

Von Ruden punctuates the fifth with back-to-back strikeouts to end it. Oregon with only three hits through five innings.

Von Ruden’s day is done after 84 pitches. Tolman draws a two-out walk and Chase singles to left for his second hit of the series. Valencia in to face the lefty, Cuddy. Valencia gets the strikeout. Inning over.

UO can’t get to a tiring Von Ruden but UH gets to a tiring Karraker. Sawelson rips a double to left for his sixth hit in his last seven at-bats and Ramirez singles inside the bag at first to drive him in. Pitching change for Oregon as Nogosek comes in with UH ahead 2-0. UH elects not to bunt with Richartz, who strikes out looking, as does Baldwin. Ka’aua flies out and we go to the seventh.

Valencia opens the door for the Ducks with back-to-back one-out walks in the seventh. Trapasso makes a mound visit but leaves him in. Grebeck flies out to right after a nice battle and Eureste grounds out to second as Valencia gets out of it.

Josh Pigg in for Valencia to start the eighth. Karaviotis down on three pitches. Pigg hits Tolman but gets a pop out by Chase. Cuddy rips a double to right but LoCoco is quick to cut it off. Tolman heads for home. The relay from Sheldon-Collins is a strike and Tolman is gunned out at home to end the inning. Another great defensive play from the ‘Bows saves a run.

Pigg back out for the ninth but gives up a leadoff walk to Craig-St. Louis. Jakob Goldfarb in to pinch-hit for Catalano and hits an 0-2 offering off Pigg for an infield single. Bunt moves the runner over.

Bryant with a grounder back to the pitcher. Craig-St. Louis is caught in a rundown. They go back and forth. Easy play at the plate and he’s out. NO! The umpire says Pigg didn’t tag him. Pigg can’t believe out. Trapasso is out and he’s furious. Wow. What a stunning play. It wasn’t even a close play at the plate. Pigg tagged him and thought it was over. Unreal. Fans are up in arms. Alex Hatch in for Pigg after things calm down. Intentional walk loads the bases for Karaviotis.

Susnara pinch-hits for Karaviotis as Gleese came in for Hatch. Susnara sneaks a grounder through the hole at first and second and we’re tied. Tolman then rips a single to right off Gleese and it’s 3-2 Ducks. Gleese battles back to strike out Chase and Cuddy.

Three outs left for UH. Oregon brings in its closer, Garrett Cleavinger, who was throwing 96 on Saturday.

Richartz draws a walk and Baldwin drops the perfect bunt to move him over. A passed ball now has Richartz on third with one out for Ka’aua. Ka’aua with a four-pitch walk and the winning run is now on base. Jonathan Weeks in to pinch-hit for Kitaoka.

Weeks works a 3-2 count and may have fouled off ball four before popping out in foul territory to the third baseman on the next pitch. LoCoco pops out and Oregon wins.