Hawaii takes advantge of errors, wildness to beat San Diego State

Mar. 23—On a freaky Friday night, the Hawaii baseball team used all its resources for a 16-5 victory over San Diego State at Les Murakami Stadium.

On a freaky Friday night, the Hawaii baseball team used all its resources for a 16-5 victory over San Diego State at Les Murakami Stadium.

A crowd of 1, 818 saw the Rainbow Warriors score six of their runs on three hit by pitches, two errors and a wild pitch.

Down 4-0, the Rainbow Warriors scored eight runs in the fifth inning and five in the sixth to claim the opener of the three-game series between the former Western Athletic Conference rivals. The Aztecs moved to the Mountain West in 1999 and the'Bows departed for the Big West in 2013.

UH left fielder Jake Tsukada was hit by pitches a school-record four times, including twice with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.

"I feel great, " said Tsukada, a Punahou graduate who played the previous four seasons at Portland. "If I've got to get hit to bring runs in, I'll do it. I'll do it any day of the week. ... We've got a rule there : 'We no move feet, braddah.' I can't be bailing out of that. That's what happens when you don't move."

UH coach Rich Hill said : "He's been doing that lately. He just doesn't move his feet, which allows him to really see the ball. I'm happy for him. He (was ) a little kid going to games here at the Les, and now he's getting a chance to help our team win a championship."

Danny Veloz threw third strikes to the first five batters he faced. Because an Aztec reached on a third strike, Veloz was credited with four strikeouts in the sixth inning.

The Aztecs had taken a 3-0 lead with three two-out, run-scoring singles in the third. They added their fourth run on Tino Bethancourt's RBI double to right with two outs in the fifth.

But in the bottom of the fifth, the'Bows sent 14 players to the dish in plating eight runs.

After the'Bows filled the bases on two walks and Jordan Donahue's bunt single, Tsukada was struck by a pitch to cut the deficit to 4-1. Austin Machado then was plunked. Matt Miura's RBI single made it 4-3. Then Stone Miyao hit a towering fly to left that outfielder Jake Johnson dropped. Johnson was charged with an error and Miyao was credited with a sacrifice fly. DallasJ Duarte followed with a two-run double on a drive that a diving Johnson could not secure as the'Bows went ahead 6-4.

Alex Giroux made his second consecutive series-opening start for the'Bows. He retired the first eight Aztecs in order before allowing a walk, a hit and then three consecutive RBI singles.

Harrison Bodendorf was summoned to replace Giroux with the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth. Bodendorf, a left-hander, induced left-swinging Shawn Montoya to fly out to center to end the threat.

"Did that a lot last year, " Bodendorf said of relieving. "Been there before. Don't make anything too special out of it."

Hill said : "It was a good matchup. Bode went in there and went 1-2 right away. Got ahead of the hitter. Really did a good job. Before that, Alex did a good job to get (Finley Bates ) to pop up at the end of his outing."

Veloz, who entered in the sixth, struck out pinch hitter Drew Rutter and Bates. After Montoya reached after a called third strike, Veloz fanned Irvin Weems for his fourth strikeout of the sixth inning.

"Once (Montoya ) got on with that third strikeout, I knew I had a chance for the fourth one once I got it to two strikes, " Veloz said. "I felt I had a good chance with my slider. It felt good to get four in one inning."

Veloz, who earned the victory to improve to 3-0, then struck out Colby Turner to start the seventh. Veloz did not allow a hit or walk to the seven batters he faced in two scoreless innings.