Tuesday night's University of Hawai‘i baseball game was supposed to be an opportunity for head coach Rich Hill to let his backups to see extended playing time. The Rainbow Warriors endured a 13-inning game against UC Davis the night before, and Division II Hawai‘i-Hilo was in town for a single game before the 'Bows were to hit the road on Wednesday morning.
Although the Vulcans gave the 'Bows quite a scare, UH eventually prevailed 9-8 in 10 innings after Hill decided to insert his starters in extra innings. Itsuki Takemoto drew a walk with the bases loaded, giving the Rainbow Warriors their sixth walk-off win of the 2025 season.
Overall, Hawai‘i improved to 18-5 overall on Tuesday night. The Rainbow Warriors swept UC Davis in a three-game series from Saturday to Monday, handling the Aggies 7-2 on Saturday before blowing them out 16-0 on Sunday. On Monday, the 'Bows completed the sweep with a 2-1 win in 13 innings, lifted by Isaiah Magdaleno's seven innings of scoreless relief.
"I think after a 13 inning, real emotional type of game that went late into the night, I wanted to give those guys a day off," Hill said after the Hilo game on Tuesday night. "I also think that when you wear the Rainbow Warrior uniform, you deserve an opportunity.
"We had a lot of guys that got a lot of opportunity tonight, and in the end, your competitive juices start to flow a little bit. And you're like that kid on the playground, you want to win. So, that's when we started pinch hitting some of the regulars."
On Tuesday, a motivated UH-Hilo squad entered Les Murakami Stadium and jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the fourth inning. Although the Rainbow Warriors led 6-5 at the seventh-inning stretch, the Vulcans answered with three runs in the top of the eighth inning to snatch the lead back.
UH-Hilo defeating Hawai‘i in a baseball game is not without precedent, as the Vulcans did so to open the 2016 season. With the Rainbow Warriors trailing 8-7 entering the bottom of the ninth, the 'Bows were down to their last strike, but Kamana Nahaku fought off a full count fastball from UH-Hilo sidearmer Braden Lowe for an infield single. JJ Nielsen then hustled in from second base to tie the game.
Despite the pressure that came with the at-bat, Nahaku says he found himself calm in the moment.
"We work on breath a lot as a team," Nakahu said. "Our coach, Rich Hill, believes a lot in the breath work. And we work a lot as a team. Kind of just slowing down and working on box breathing is what we do, and just trying to slow it down and trusting myself that I could get it done for the team.
"We got a special group right now. I truly believe that we can do something special this year, and everyone in our dugout just believes in everyone on the field. It doesn't matter if they're starting or not. We got a lot of trust in each other, and I just think that's a huge reason to our success. It's just belief in each other.
"It was awesome," Hill added of Nahaku's approach. "He's been doing that all year, just grinds it at the plate. Touches it ugly. And it's nice to see JJ on the bases. He gives us a little bit more speed."
Regardless of the circumstances or opponent, UH proved once again on Tuesday night that it is a tough team to beat at home. But on Wednesday, the 'Bows boarded the team bus at 5:15 a.m. for a flight that will take them to their next series at Cal State Northridge from Friday to Sunday. The Rainbow Warriors are currently third in the Big West standings at 6-3 but lost their lone road series of the season at UC Riverside.
After taking two of three from the 'Bows, the Highlanders went on to lose eight straight. Hawai‘i trended the other way, taking a home series against nationally ranked UC Santa Barbara and then sweeping UC Davis. After Tuesday's win, UH heads to Northridge winners of six straight.
"It's a brand new weekend. Going on the road in the Big West is always very difficult," Hill said. "But we feel good. We're ready to get to California."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
