Rainbows roll by UC Riverside to maintain playoff position

In a hana hou that was nearly as efficient as the previous night’s performance, the Hawaii baseball team rolled to a 9-1 victory over UC Riverside on Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium.

A crowd announced as a sellout — there were 2,584 through the turnstiles — saw the Rainbow Warriors win the first two to clinch this three-game, Big West series. The ’Bows improved to 23-19 overall and 12-11 in the Big West, maintaining fifth place. The top five teams qualify for the Big West Tournament. The Highlanders fell to 14-31 and 9-14.

On Friday night, Isaiah Magdaleno pitched a one-hitter while striking out 16, and Mana Lau Kong drove in the game’s only run. On Saturday, right-hander Hekili Robello allowed a run and three hits in eight innings, and Lau Kong provided a large share of the offense.

After relinquishing a run and two hits in a 27-pitch first inning, Robello settled down, allowing only one hit the next seven innings. He retired 11 in a row during a stretch through the fourth inning. Robello’s 113 pitches — 77 for strikes — were one short of matching a season high.

“First (inning) was a little shaky, but I just had to compete,” said Robello, a Hilo High graduate who redshirted last season after transferring from Santa Rosa College. “I played freely. … I was really focused on getting outs. That was the main thing.”

UH pitching coach Keith Zuniga said Robello built his strategy off a multi-directional fastball.

“He competed with a fastball he can move in, out, up and down,” Zuniga said.

Zuniga said there was hope Robello could return to the mound in the ninth inning to attempt the ’Bows’ third complete game in Rich Hill’s 152 games as UH head coach. But Robello’s pitch count was too high and the ’Bows’ three quick outs in the bottom of the eighth did not provide enough rest/recovery time.

“We just decided (Robello) did his job, and we’d play it smart and hand it over to Ryan (Inouye),” Zuniga said.

Lau Kong continued his ascending freshman season. He went 2-for-4, driving home four with an RBI single, two-run base hit and sacrifice fly. In his first 12 games, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Lau Kong hit .133. Since then, he is 15-for-34 (.441), raising his season’s average to .313.

“Just seeing the ball really well now and sticking to my approach,” Lau Kong said. “I’m getting my pitch and getting my swing off. I think it’s been working fairly well.”

He said he’s letting pitches get deep and “look the other way. Anything else I see in, I kind of react to it. It’s worked so far. I’l keep sticking with it.”

Third baseman Tate Shimao went 3-for-4 with a home run.

The ’Bows tied the score with a run in the bottom of the first. Kamana Nahaku and Shimao drew walks. Nahaku went to third on Ben Zeigler-Namoa’s deep fly out to right, then came home on Lau Kong’s ground single to left.