Hawaii Baseball Triumphs Over UCSB in Big West Tournament Opener
FULLERTON, CA – The University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors secured a 6-2 victory against UC Santa Barbara in an elimination game of the Big West baseball tournament on Wednesday. With this win, Hawaii advanced to the double-elimination stage of the tournament, set to face top-seeded UC Irvine on Thursday at noon Hawaii time.
Fourth-seeded UH improved its season record to 34-19, while UCSB, seeded fifth, fell to 36-18. The Gauchos initially gained a lead in the fifth inning, taking a 2-1 advantage after chasing UH starter Cooper Walls. However, the tide turned when Ben Zeigler-Namoa launched a three-run homer, his sixth of the season, in the bottom of the fifth, propelling Hawaii to a lead they would not relinquish.
Matthew Miura added to the scoreboard with a home run of his own in the seventh inning, marking his third of the year against UCSB reliever Cole Tryba. Hawaii’s pitching was bolstered by Cory Ronan, who recorded seven outs in relief, and closer Isaiah Magdaleno, who earned his eighth save of the season by retiring the final eight batters faced, allowing only one walk.
Notably, UCSB’s top MLB draft prospect, pitcher Tyler Bremner, did not make an appearance in the game.
This marked Hawaii’s first conference tournament game since the 2012 WAC tournament, with the Big West last hosting a tournament in 1998.
For updates on the tournament, stay tuned for further information.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. Reach him at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
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