Hawaii still swinging at Big West Championship

FULLERTON, Calif. >> In a knock-out game, the Hawaii baseball team KO’d Cal State Fullerton with Friday’s 16-4 victory at Goodwin Field on the CSUF campus.

“Hey, we’re playing free and easy, man,” UH coach Rich Hill said. “Like I said, we’re a scary team to deal with right now.”

Both teams lost on Thursday, setting up a win-or-go-home showdown in the double-elimination phase of the Big West Championship tournament. The third-seeded Titans had the home-field advantage. The Rainbow Warriors had everything else.

Shortstop Jordan Donahue drilled a two-run homer on a hit-and-run swing, Kamana Nahaku smacked a solo shot that cleared the scoreboard, and the ’Bows scored five runs in the seventh inning and six in the ninth to power their way into this afternoon’s game (noon Hawaii time) against second-seeded Cal Poly. The winner of that game faces No. 1 seed and 20th-ranked UC Irvine in the evening game.

“Not a lot of adjectives can describe our performance in every facet today,” said Hill, who noted ‘it all started” with left-handed pitcher Sebastian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez yielded singles to the first three batters as the Titans took a 1-0 lead in the first. But Gonzalez induced a double play and then struck out Eli Lopez to minimize the Titans’ output. The Titans loaded the bases with two outs in the second. But first baseman Ben Zeigler-Namoa fielded a hard-hit grounder and lobbed to Gonzalez sprinting to the first-base bag for the third out.

Gonzalez allowed one run in four innings. Cory Ronan allowed a run before exiting with one out, two runners in scoring position, and the ’Bows clutching a 5-2 lead in the sixth. Hill summoned closer Isaiah Magdaleno, who had earned an eight-out save on Wednesday.

“Get us to a situation where our MVP, Magdaleno, took control,” Hill said.

Magdaleno struck out Marco Morales and induced Cam Burdick to hit a flyout to center to end the sixth-inning threat.

“Just like I do any other time I go in,” Magdaleno said. “Just do what I need to do to get my body warm. And just go out there with a good mind-set, and just go out there and attack.”

As UH’s lead swelled to 10-2 and then 16-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, Hill did not consider pulling Magdaleno.

“He’s begging me to go out there in the ninth inning,” Hill said. “I’ve got too much trauma in college baseball over 38 years (of coaching) to see leads evaporate. I didn’t want to go to Freddy (Rodriguez) because he’s the projected starter (against Cal Poly). So that was that.”

Magdaleno said: “I was ready to go back out there. I told him I was ready ‘so just stick with me.’”

Magdaleno allowed three hits and two runs to earn the 59-pitch, 11-out save, his ninth of the year.

“It was an awesome pitching performance,” Hill said.

The pitching complemented an offense that amassed 19 hits. Center fielder Matthew Miura went 4-for-6, scored two runs and drove in three. Third baseman Elijah Ickes had three hits, including a leadoff triple to spark a three-run second. And catcher Hunter Faildo, who entered hitting .219, went 3-for-4 and scored three runs.

“I was putting good swings on good pitches, and it was working out for me on the offensive side,” Faildo said.

Leading 5-2 in the seventh, the ‘Bows scored five runs to move out of reach. Donahue’s two-run homer, his third in six days, made it 7-2.

“It was a hit-and-run,” Donahue said. “I wasn’t trying to do too much with that. I put a good swing on the ball and it left the yard.”

Nahaku then parked a solo drive over the scoreboard in left field and onto the parking lot.

“It was good to especially follow up what Jordan did,” Nahaku said. “It was just a fastball, a 3-1 fastball, and I was on time. Right when I hit it, I knew it was gone, for sure.”

After Shunsuke Sakaino doubled home two runs, CSUF was forced to bring in closer Andrew Wright to stop the bleeding. He did not, allowing six runs — four earned — in 1 2/3 innings. The mercy rule did not apply because the ’Bows reached the 10-run margin in the top of the inning.

But the rule was used in the seventh inning of UC Irvine’s 15-4 victory over Cal Poly. Luke Kovich will start for the Mustangs today. Hill said the Mustangs’ bullpen is well rested, meaning Jake Torres should be available.

“Opponents are nameless and faceless,” Hill said. “It’s all about taking care of what we can control.”

Asked if Magdaleno, who has thrown 114 pitches in three games since Sunday, also is available, Hill said, “see how he feels tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll want the ball at some point. … The closer’s role in college is not defined like it is in the major leagues. Isaiah is a strong, physical kid. He’s got great mechanics. Really takes care of himself. Works hard in between outings. Just kind of a day-by-day thing. See how he feels and go from there.”