LIVE BLOG: UH-Hilo 1, Hawaii 0

Since there is no TV for this game, here’s a quick live blog to keep you up to date on opening night.

LINEUPS

Hawaii
Matt LoCoco, CF
Jacob Sheldon-Collins, SS
Eric Ramirez, 1B
Marcus Doi, LF
Josh Rojas, 2B
Alex Sawelson, DH
Chayce Ka’aua C
Johnny Weeks, 3B
Alan Baldwin, RF
Brendan Hornung, RHP

UH-Hilo
Kyle Yamada, LF
Jonathan Segovia, RF
Jacob Grijalva, 2B
Nate Green, 3B
Keenan Nishioka, DH
Phillip Steering, 1B
Sean Nearhoof, C
Edison Sakata, SS
Michael Jenkerson, CF
Jordan Kurokawa, RHP

TOP 1: UH goes down as Kurokawa strikes out Doi looking, stranding Ramirez on first. Ramirez drew a four-pitch walk after both LoCoco and Sheldon-Collins grounded out to short.

BOT 1: Yamada gets a leadoff single back up the middle. Segovia bunts him to second as UH-Hilo has an early opportunity, but Grijalva grounds out to second and Green grounds out to short.

TOP 2: UH goes down in order as Rojas strikes out swinging, Sawelson bounces out to third on a nice play by Green and Ka’aua, returning home, grounds out to second on the first pitch he sees.

BOT 2: Hornung tries to come inside and hits Nishioka with an 0-1 fastball. Hornung comes back throwing one of the first curves I’ve seen him throw for a strike. Good-looking pitch. Steering then strikes out swinging and a nice changeup for the first out. Slow-roller by Nearhoof to second and Rojas makes a nice play for the second out as Nishioka moves to second. Sakata with a chopper to second and that ends the second inning.

TOP 3: Weeks with a dribbler to the pitcher. Baldwin with the first solid hit for either team in the game with a line-drive clean single to left. Kurokawa had been pounding first-pitch strikes but is behind 2-0 after giving up his first hit. Baldwin goes on the 2-0 pitch and LoCoco hits a grounder to short. I think Sakata started for second then tried to get back to the ball hit where he was and can’t field it. It’s an infield single for LoCoco. Sheldon-Collins with a pop up to left that is caught and Ramirez flies out to center as UH leaves two on.

BOT 3: Hornung falls behind 3-0 and gets a generous strike call on what looked like ball 4. Jenkerson then flies out to right. Yamada sneaks his second hit of the game between Weeks and Sheldon-Collins. Grounder to second and Rojas looks like he’s going to second but he doesn’t scoop up the ball. It’s an E-4 and UH-Hilo has two on but a quick 6-3 double play ends the inning.

TOP 4: Kurokawa continuing to pound away with first-pitch strikes as Doi grounds out to second and then Rojas strikes out on a curve in the dirt. Second K in the game for Rojas in his UH debut. Sawelson grounds to third on the first pitch and it’s a quick 1-2-3 innings.

BOT 4: Shallow fly to right on the first pitch and Baldwin comes in to make a sliding catch to retire Green. Hornung gets Nishioka to strike out on a check swing. Steering falls behind but works an eight-pitch walk as he takes a close ball 4. Ka’aua held it there for an extra second. Hornung wanted it. Nearhoof hits into a fielder’s choice to short.

TOP 5: Ka’aua strikes out on an appeal to first on a 2-2 check swing. Weeks with a grounder to short and Kurokawa is cruising right now as he strikes out Baldwin on a high 1-2 fastball. Just 57 pitches through five shutout innings for Kurokawa, who has allowed only two hits and retired the last eight.

BOT 5: Hornung gets a quick ground out to start the inning but then falls behind 2-0 to Jenkerson, who rips the next pitch into right field for a hit. Yamada then executes a perfect bunt with the runner in motion down the first-base side for his third single of the game. Segovia works a 3-2 count but then Rojas makes a diving stop at second and the quick pitch to Sheldon-Collins starts the 4-6-3 double play and that’s it.

TOP 6: UH gets the leadoff guy on for the first time tonight as LoCoco draws a five-pitch walk. Sheldon-Collins drops the bunt down as UH executes in its first attempt to move runners over. LoCoco on second with one out for Ramirez. Just the second UH runner to reach second this game. Ramirez with a defensive swing on 0-2 and grounds out to third. LoCoco moves to third. Two outs and Doi up. Doi RIPS a line drive and Green goes high at third to rob UH of a run and extra bases.

BOT 6: Sheldon-Collins has to wait on a grounder but shows off the arm to JUST get Grijalva at first for the first out. Hornung then strikes out Green on three pitches. Nishioka drops a two-out single in front of a sliding Doi in left-center. Hornung loses Steering to an eight-pitch walk after getting ahead. Reese Kato in to pinch-run for Nishioka at second. Mound visit by Trapasso, who will leave in Hornung, who is at 84 pitches. Nearhoof at the plate. First pitch is a grounder to second and that is that.

TOP 7: Rojas gets ahead 3-0, takes a strike, and then rips a hard grounder to second for the first out. Sawelson hits a deep drive to the track in center but it’s caught for the second out. Ka’aua hits a chopper to third but Green goes high to get it and throws him out. We stretch.

BOT 7: Sakata dumps a single into shallow right on the first pitch. Jenkerson drops a bunt down to third and Weeks charges and makes a great throw to first to get him for the first out. Runner in scoring position with one out for the Vulcans and Yamada up, who has three of UH-Hilo’s six hits. Yamada lifts a fly ball to right for the second out but Sakata tags and gets to third. Segovia up for the Vulcans and he dumps a 2-2 pitch into left for a base hit to bring in the first run of the game and the Vulcans lead 1-0. Grijalva singles to left to bring in a run and that moves Segovia to third. That’s it for Hornung after 6 2/3 innings. Hawaii brings in Casey Ryan to face Green. Green strikes out swinging.

TOP 8: Weeks with his third weak groundout of the game and then Baldwin pops one up to first for the second out. LoCoco caught looking at a curve ball and UH goes 1-2-3. 90 pitches for Kurokawa.

BOT 8: Steering draws a one-out walk and tries to steal second but is thrown out by four steps by Ka’aua. Ryan ends the inning with a strikeout. He looks much better than in the alumni game.

Top 9: Kurokawa, who is at 90 pitches, comes back out for the ninth. Sheldon-Collins fights off some tough two-strike pitches before grounding out to second. Ramirez puts a charge into one to deep center but it’s caught. UH down to its final out and it’s Doi, who was robbed of an RBI in his last at-bat. Kurokawa ends it with his seventh strikeout and UH-Hilo beats Hawaii 1-0.