LIVE BLOG: Hawaii 10, Oregon 1, F

Now at 13 straight losses to Oregon and counting, Hawaii turns to junior L.J. Brewster to try and get off the snide. First career start for Brewster coming up today.

Much better performance by the Rainbow Warriors yesterday, but they couldn’t hold the lead. Outside of two hits with men in scoring position by Jordan Richartz and Chayce Ka’aua on Saturday, UH has done nothing offensively. In the first two games of the series, UH is hitting .103 (6-for-58) with no extra-base hits. UH’s newcomers are batting 2-for-31.

LINEUPS

Oregon
Matt Eureste, 3B
Jakob Goldfarb, RF
Mitchell Tolman, 2B
Shaun Chase, DH
Brandon Cuddy, 1B
Steven Packard, LF
Mark Karaviotis, SS
Tim Susnara, C
Nick Catalano, CF
Trent Paddon, RHP

Hawaii
Matt LoCoco, LF
Jacob Sheldon-Collins, SS
Kaeo Aliviado, CF
Marcus Doi, DH
Alex Sawelson, 3B
Eric Ramirez, 1B
Jordan Richartz, RF
Chayce Ka’aua, C
Conner Linebarger, 2B
L.J. Brewster, RHP

Glaring omission from UH’s lineup is senior 2B Stephen Ventimilia, who is out with the flu. Apparently he’s not even in the ballpark.

UH flashes the defense early. Ka’aua throws out Eureste trying to steal second and then LoCoco guns down Goldfarb at second from left trying to stretch a single into a double. Not your typical 1-2-3 inning for Brewster.

LoCoco opens with a single to left on the first pitch and Sheldon-Collins drops a bunt to move him over. Two hit batters in two pitches and UH has the bases loaded against Paddon. Three straight singles by Sawelson, who battled back from 0-2, Ramirez and Richartz makes it 4-0 and a wild pitch scores Ramirez. 5-0 UH after 1.

UH’s five runs in the first match the most it’s scored in an entire game against the Ducks since 2012. The ‘Bows are it again as LoCoco draws a four-pitch walk and Sheldon-Collins doubles to left. Paddon is done. Freshman Jacob Corn, who is the only lefty out of the Ducks bullpen besides its closer, is coming in.

Two grounders to third can’t get anyone in but Sawelson with a nice liner to left for a single to bring in Sheldon-Collins and it’s 6-0. Ramirez now rips one to right for a single. Doi around third, he scores. 7-0. Richartz takes the first pitch up the middle for a single. Sawelson in. 8-0. Sawelson, Ramirez and Richartz are now 6-for-6 with seven RBIs. Ka’aua draws a walk and that’s it for Corn. RHP Cooper Stiles in with the bases loaded and two outs. Linebarger flies out to left. UH sends nine to the plate for the second straight inning.

After a rough opening night, Sheldon-Collins has been superb at shortstop and does it again. Great diving stop up the middle and nearly gets the double play after the flip to second. Brewster with a nice play off the mound and he’s through three scoreless.

Brewster gives up a leadoff double but Sawelson makes a great diving stop at third and throws out Susnara at first to keep the shutout intact through 5. Sawelson having his coming-out party today.

Top of the sixth and Brewster starts to wear down as he hits 80 pitches. Goldfarb works an eight-pitch walk and Trapasso makes his first visit. Tolman rips a pitch to left for an RBI single and that should be it. It is. 83 pitches in Brewster’s first career start. In comes Cody Culp to face Chase, who is 0-for-9 this series. Chase pops out to foul ground behind third. Sheldon-Collins falls back to make the catch and then throws out Goldfarb trying to go to third from the ground. Culp covers at the base. Double play. More great defense from UH.

UH take advantage of the great defense with more offense as Ka’aua rips a ball to the gap in left-center for a two-run double to drive in Ramirez and Richartz. One huge plus for UH has been the play of Ka’aua over these first three games. Looks like UH is in its best shape at catcher since David Freitas was drafted in 2010.

Joe Reta in for Stiles and gets out of the inning. 10-1 through 6.

Today’s attendance is 2,367.

Doi slow to run out a grounder to short to end the seventh. Let’s hope that wasn’t the groin flaring up.

Culp, who retired all four batters he faced on Saturday, retired eight in a row before Tolman’s one-out single to right. Tolman steals second down 10-1. Chase singles to left and Tolman tries to score but Alan Baldwin, who pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth, guns him down at the plate. What a show from the ‘Bows today. Cuddy strikes out and the streak is over. Hawaii wins 10-1.