photo credit to Steve Coburn
HONOLULU, Hawai'i --- UC Irvine begins Big West play with two straight losses giving up another 8-spot to Hawai'I Saturday night in Les Murakami Stadium in an 8-5 defeat.
Hawai'i (13-14, 2-0) got it started once again with a three-run first inning. An error and a balk marred the inning to put the 'Eaters behind early, but on this evening, UCI (15-9, 0-2) answered with run in the top of the second thanks to a two-out Grant Palmer single.
The two-run deficit didn't last too long as the 'Bows put up a two-out hit of their own in the bottom of the inning from Jonathan Weeks to plate a pair and extend the lead to 5-1.
The squads traded zeroes for the next four innings before the Anteaters chipped into Kyle Von Ruden's game. Three consecutive singles to start the seventh inning each game around to score on a pair of groundouts and a wild pitch tightening the game back to one run, 5-4.
Alonzo Garcia returned after two scoreless innings, but could not close down the inning giving the three runs back with two outs started by Chayce Ka'aua's two-run double to make it a four-run game once again.
UCI got a run back in the eighth, and even put the tying run at the plate in the ninth, but a deep flyout to center from Cole Kreuter and a hotshot right at the third baseman from Keston Hiura ended the game, 8-5.
Shaun Vetrovec struggled on the mound allowing four earned runs and lasting just four innings as the starter. His counterpart, Von Ruden, had allowed just the unearned run through six innings before the three-run deluge. He would finish with four strikeouts and no walks issues to grab his fourth win.
He got help from everyone in the order providing a hit. Four players had multiple hits including three from freshman Kekai Rios. Ka'aua and Johnny Weeks drove home two each while Eric Ramirez scored twice.
Palmer had a second straight solid outing at the dish reaching three times from two hits and a walk and adding an RBI, run, and stolen base. Kreuter added two hits while Hiura joined him with one to extend his streaks to 40 games on base in a row, 14 with a hit, and 11 straight with a hit on the road. Pinch-hitters Cameron Bishop and Wyatt Castro each drove home a run as well.
UC Irvine now stands at 15-9 on the year and is still searching for its first Big West win. It has one final chance this weekend in Hawai'I with a 4:05 p.m. start on Sunday, April 3. Cameron Bishop will toe the rubber against fellow left-hander Alex Hatch who will look for the sweep for the Rainbow Warriors.
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