Pitching, timely baserunning lift UH over UC Irvine

On a dry but wild Saturday night, the Hawaii baseball team made the most of limited opportunities to cobble a 3-0 victory over UC Irvine at Les Murakami.

A crowd announced as a sellout — there were 2,819 through the turnstiles — saw third baseman Tate Shimao score twice on wild pitches to help the Rainbow Warriors clinch this three-game series.

Entering this Big West showdown, the Anteaters had won nine in a row against the ’Bows and taken every series since 2019. But the ’Bows pounded out 16 hits in Friday’s 14-6 rout, then followed with Saturday’s dominant pitching and timely baserunning. The first pitch for today’s finale is set for 1:05 p.m.

Right-hander Hekili Robello pitched a two-hitter over six scoreless innings to improve to 6-2. The ’Bows are 18-13 overall and 8-9 in the Big West. They are in sole possession of sixth place. The top five teams qualify for the Big West Tournament.

“It feels good,” Robello said, “but we still have a job to do.”

With runners on first and second with one out in the second, Robello struck out the next two batters. With an Anteater on second with one out in the third, Robello induced back-to-back flyouts.

“I just want to compete, do whatever it takes to win,” said Robello, who redshirted last season after transferring from Santa Rosa College. “I was locating, getting outs. I felt the fastball was very effective. I still have to work on some off-speed (pitches).”

John Alkire II and Brody Martin-Grudzielanek, who was a candidate to start today, combined for the final nine outs.

For the second game in a row, the ’Bows banished an Anteater starting pitcher to an early exit. Trevor Hansen, one of the Big West’s top pitchers, did not survive the ’Bows’ six-run fourth on Friday. Finnegan Wall, Saturday’s UCI starter, lasted 3 2/3 innings — his shortest outing of his seven starts.

Wall left after left fielder Rowan Felsch misplayed Draven Nushida’s opposite-field drive for a two-base error and Kamana Nahaku was hit by a pitch with two outs. Left-hander Ryder Brooks got Ben Zeigler-Namoa to fly out to Felsch for the third out of the fourth inning.

By then, the ’Bows had constructed a 2-0 lead.

With two outs in the first inning, Shimao drew a walk. Josh Martin followed with a double into the left-center gap. Wall then fired a 1-2 pitch that skipped past catcher Zach Crandall as Shimao sprinted home with the game’s first run.

In the third, Shimao singled to left and went third when Martin pulled a singled to right. One out later, Wall’s fastball sailed past Crandall’s mitt as Shimao raced home for a 2-0 lead.

“I was thinking, ‘Any way I can score,’” Shimao said. “My guys were putting good at bats. They kept fighting off pitches, and (Wall) spikes one. I got lucky.”

Shimao has experienced a resurgence in the past three weeks. After transferring from Cal Poly in August 2024, he redshirted during his first UH season because of an ankle injury. Shimao struggled early this serason. But in the past 10 games, Shimao is hitting .436. In 17 Big West games, Shimao now leads the ’Bows with a .328 average.

“I mean, it helps when everybody is hitting, too.” said Shimao, whose ’Bows have amassed 26 hits in two games. “Hitting’s contagious. Everyone is doing well right now, and that’s helping me, too.”

The ’Bows added a run in the seventh on Evan Rolbiecki’s run-scoring single. Rolbiecki entered as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning.