LIHU‘E — The top team in the country made quick work of the Rainbows on Saturday, as Arizona State dispatched with Hawai‘i by a 12-1 count in the Tempe Regional. The top-seeded Sun Devils jumped on starting pitcher Josh Slaats,
LIHU‘E — The top team in the country made quick work of the Rainbows on Saturday, as Arizona State dispatched with Hawai‘i by a 12-1 count in the Tempe Regional.
The top-seeded Sun Devils jumped on starting pitcher Josh Slaats, who lasted just 1.1 innings and gave up five earned runs on five hits.
Arizona State led 7-0 after three complete innings, then added five more runs in the final three frames.
Hawai‘i designated hitter Jeffrey Van Doornum provided the only scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, his second homer in as many days. Van Doornum leads the ‘Bows with 14 home runs on the season.
UH (34-27) now sits at 1-1 in the Regional round robin, having beaten San Diego, 4-3, on Friday. It will take on San Diego again today at 10 a.m. HT (1 p.m. PT) in an elimination game. The Toreros blasted the region’s No. 4-seeded Milwaukee, 22-1, on Saturday.
The winner will then face Arizona State (49-8) later today, needing to top the Sun Devils twice in order to advance to the Super Regionals. If Arizona State does lose today’s game, the winner-take-all matchup will be Monday at 3:30 HT (6:30 PT).
Arizona State second baseman Zack MacPhee had a monster game, going 4 for 5 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs and a walk. The Devils hit four homers in the game.
Pitcher Seth Blair came away with the victory, throwing 7.0 innings of one-run ball, giving up three hits and striking out eight.
Jake Barrett and Jimmy Patterson each got an inning of relief work for ASU.
Alex Capaul came on for Slaats in the second inning and went 7.0 innings, giving up six runs on 10 hits, striking out three and walking one.
Trent Allianic recorded the final two outs without giving up a hit.
The ‘Bows were outhit 15-5 in the game, with Josh Chevalier, Collin Bennett, Christian Johnson and Pi‘ikea Kitamura each singling in addition to the Van Doornum homer.
UH committed two errors, both in the first inning.
