HILO — It was two long-awaited victories but well worth the wait as Hawai’i Hilo Baseball closed out its season-opening series with a doubleheader sweep of Sioux Falls on Sunday afternoon at the James “Jimmy” Correa Ballfield at Francis Wong Stadium. The Vulcans earned their first victory of the season with a 15-8 win followed by a 15-9 win in seven innings to close the five-game series.
Cody Min totaled six hits and three RBI while Noah Nakaoka had seven RBI through Sunday’s doubleheader.
Hawai’i Hilo moved to 2-3 overall as Sioux Falls (South Dakota) moved to 3-2 record.
Up next: Friday, Feb. 21 (3 PM + 6 PM) vs Fresno Pacific (Hilo, Hawai’i / James “Jimmy” Correa Ballfield at Francis Wong Stadium)
Game 1: Sioux Falls 8, Hawai’i Hilo 15
The Vulcans lashed out 15 total hits led by Mason Cook’s 4-for-5 outing with two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored. The junior catcher got the scoring going with an RBI double in the bottom of the second. Cody Min totaled three hits and two RBI while Noah Lane (1 RBI), Mark Fedro (four RBI) and Noah Nakaoka (three RBI) each had a pair of base knocks.
The Vulcans exploded for five runs on four hits in the second inning, and later seven runs on five hits (and a Cougars error) in the bottom of the fifth.
The Cougars managed to post four runs in each of the top of the fifth and the top of the seventh, with the latter half-inning aided by three consecutive free passes to first base to start the inning.
Both teams’ pitchers combined to give up nine walks each, but Hawai’i Hilo’s arms were able to help offset the damage with 10 strikeouts.
Xaiver Pressley got the start on the mound, going 4.1 innings with six strikeouts but four walks and four runs allowed. Kyle Casados, who played middle infield last season, was credited with the win with 0.2 innings of scoreless work. John Navarro closed out the final 2.2 innings with three strikeouts and no runs allowed.
Game 2: Sioux Falls 10, Hawai’i Hilo 15 (7 innings)
It was another marathon battle between the two teams, but this time squeezing it all into just seven innings of play. Both teams’ pitchers combined to give up 21 walks and six hit batters.
USF managed to plate a pair of runs in the top of the third while recording zero hits but receiving five free passes to first base on three drawn walks and two hit by pitch. In the top fourth, the Cougars were aided by six free passes (four walks and two hit by pitch) and a fielding error while managing to hit a two-RBI triple to take the lead at 8-7.
The Vulcans responded in the bottom half of the inning with four hits and seven runs as Nakaoka drove in two runs on a base hit to regain the lead, and Brandon Wada delivered the game-winning blow: a two-strike grand slam over the left field wall to make it a 14-8 score.
Devin Hayashi was credited with the win, closing out the top of the fourth with a strikeout to leave all three runners stranded. The redshirt-sophomore also made quick work in the T5 to go three-up, three-down.
