GAME 3: CSUN 7, Hawaii 3

Can Hawaii make it two three-game sweeps in a row at home? LHP Jarrett Arakawa says he’s been feeling better in the last couple of weeks. Will it translate to a good outing today?

LINEUPS

CSUN 22-15, 2-9
Elias Orona, RF (.375, 4 2b, 9 runs)
Ryan Raslowsky, 2B (.302, 6 2b, 20 runs)
Justin Toerner, CF (.289, 9 2b, 2 3b, 1 HR, 16 RBIs)
Nolan Bumstead, 1B (.333, 3 2b, 6 RBIs)
Yusuke Akitoshi, SS (.304, 6 2b, 3 3b, 1 HR, 22 RBIs)
Dylan Alexander, C (.218, 3 2b, 1 HR, 4 RBIs)
Albee Weiss, DH (.165, 4 2b, 3 HR, 13 RBIs)
Nick Blaser, LF (.248, 3 2b, 1 3b, 18 RBIs)
William Colantono, 3B (.274, 5 2b, 11 RBIs)
RHP Rayne Raven (4-3, 2.25 ERA, 52 IP, 57 K)

Hawaii 14-23, 5-6
Stephen Ventimilia, 2B (.256, 5 2b, 1 3b, 16 runs)
Alan Baldwin, RF (.286, 4 2b, 2 3b, 1 HR, 13 RBIs)
Kaeo Aliviado, CF (.262, 6 2b, 1 3b, 4 HR, 24 RBIs)
Alex Sawelson, DH (.300, 4 2b, 14 RBIs)
Eric Ramirez, 1B (.310, 4 2b, 25 RBIs)
Marcus Doi, LF (.237, 2 2b, 10 runs)
Chayce Ka’aua, C (.271, 7 2b, 16 runs)
Jacob Sheldon-Collins, SS (.254, 3 2b, 1 3b, 7 RBIs)
JJ Kitaoka, 3B (.208, 3 2b, 1 3b, 1 HR, 17 RBIs)
LHP Jarrett Arakawa (2-1, 3.24 ERA, 25 IP, 12 K)

One minor adjustment in the UH lineup as Sheldon-Collins moves up to eighth and Kitaoka drops to ninth. Kitaoka is in a 1-for-19 slump over his last six games.

TOP 1: Arakawa looks sharp early getting ahead of each other. A two-out error by Kitaoka at third proves costly as Toerner moves to second on a passed ball and scores on a Bumstead RBI single that finds the hole between third and short. CSUN leads for the first time in the series. 26-pitch inning for Arakawa, who looked pretty good.

TOP 2: Arakawa gives up a leadoff double to Alexander, who takes third on the bunt. Blaser with a grounder to short against a drawn-in infield and Alexander has to hold as Sheldon-Collins gets the out at first. Colantono with a hit past Kitaoka at third who can’t get in front. Would have been a tough play. CSUN leads 2-0.

BOTTOM 3: Weeks comes in for Kitaoka after those two defensive plays and lays down a bunt to move Sheldon-Collins into scoring position. Sheldon-Collins got on after a throwing error by Akitoshi at short. Ventimilia with a grounder into the hole at short. Akitoshi might have had a play on Sheldon-Collins at second but can’t get the ball out of his glove. It’s an infield single. Runners at the corners. Ventimilia steals second for his second of the series. Baldwin hits a liner to center deep enough to bring in Sheldon-Collins for the first run. Aliviado with a grounder to the hole at short. Akitoshi with the long throw and it pulls Bumstead off the bag, Ventimilia rounded third on the play and was heading home and scores easily to tie. Maybe a hit and an error but it’s ruled an error only. Tied 2-2. Sawelson draws a walk and Ramirez singles through the right side to drive in Aliviado. Orona bobbles it in right but then throws out Ramirez at second to end the inning.

TOP 5: Arakawa is in a groove and strikes out the side in 11 pitches. 10 in a row sat down by the left-hander, who is at 70 pitches. Interesting to see how long they let him go.

TOP 6: Roslowsky leads off with a chopper to short for an infield single. No chance at a play by Sheldon-Collins there. Toerner then rips a ball right at Weeks at third who can’t stop it. It’s ruled an error. Two on, nobody out for Bumstead, who bunts the runners into scoring position. Akitoshi with a single up the middle to bring in Roslowsky and we’re tied 3-3. Culp in for Arakawa. Alexander rips a line drive over the head of Ventimilia at second to bring in the go-ahead run. Culp strikes out Weiss for a big second out so the error ends up really hurting UH. Blaser hits into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Arakawa final line: 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.

TOP 7: Culp gives up two singles and a bunt and is lifted for Valencia, who will face the left-handed hitting Toerner. Torner with a single to right and then Bumstead singles past the drawn-in Sheldon-Collins at short to make it 6-3. Akitoshi then squeezes home a run on the bunt to make it 7-3.

Rough outings for Valencia and Culp, who combine to give up five hits and three runs in 1 2/3 innings. Also let every inherited runner score. Andrew Jones coming in for the eighth and he has a chance to get a look as the No. 2 guy out of the bullpen moving forward. Jones goes 1-2-3 in the eighth.

CSUN pulls Raven, the starter, after only 80 pitches. He allowed three unearned runs in seven innings on four hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Angel Rodriguez, the setup guy, is in.

Sawelson ends a streak of 14 in a row sat down by CSUN pitching with a leadoff single in the ninth but Ramirez is caught looking for a second time and Doi hits into a double play.