Toreros spoil coach Rich Hill's return to San Diego
Feb. 25—Inclement weather did not materialize for Friday's opening round of the Tony Gwynn Legacy.
Inclement weather did not materialize for Friday's opening round of the Tony Gwynn Legacy.
Instead, the San Diego baseball team provided the metaphorical thunder in a 14-2 rout of Hawaii at Fowler Park in San Diego.
"They're a good team, extremely well coached, " UH coach Rich Hill said. "And, man, they took it to us in every facet. And we weren't good in any phase of the game at all."
It was a disappointing reunion for Hill, who was the Toreros' head coach for 23 seasons before signing with the Rainbow Warriors in June 2021. Hill and his wife still own a house in San Diego. Hill also is co-founder of this tournament.
But the Toreros, who improved to 4-0-1, pounded out 15 hits against four UH pitchers. Jack Costello, who played third and left field, hit two home runs. Costello went 3-for-4, scoring four runs and driving in six. He also drew a walk.
"He's a great college player, " Hill said of his former recruit, "and very difficult to pitch to. Their whole lineup is."
Right fielder Angelo Peraza had three hits and scored four runs, and second baseman James Arakawa and designated hitter Will Worthington each drove in two runs.
The Toreros' first five hitters were a combined 9-for-21 with 13 runs and 10 RBI.
Right-hander Dalton Renne started for UH but lasted only 21 /3 innings. Renne relinquished six hits, five runs and a walk.
"We're still trying to find the answer to the test, " Hill said of the search for a starting rotation. "He's been probably our most consistent strike thrower. He's been up to the low 90s. We wanted to give him a shot in the first few innings, and get to one of the left-handers. But it didn't work out."
Harry Gustin, who replaced Renne in the third inning, allowed three runs in 31 /3 innings. Cameron Hagan surrendered Costello's three-run homer in the seventh inning.
The Toreros were 5-for-8 to lead off innings, including Peraza's blast to left-center to start the bottom of the fourth.
The'Bows scored both their runs in the fifth inning. Bronson Rivera walked and Jordan Donahue was struck by a pitch. They scored on Ben Zeigler-Namoa's single and an ensuing error. The'Bows did not have a hit after that, with only one of the final 14 batters reaching base.
Asked about highlights from the one-sided loss, Hill said, "I'm searching for'em. It's an all-around poor performance, and a lot of that had to do with the opponent."
With forecasts calling for showers, today's tournament games have been postponed. UH will play North Dakota State on Sunday, with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. Hill said left-hander Randy Abshier, a transfer from Arizona, will get the start. In last week's start against Wright State, Abshier allowed a hit and a run in 31 /3 innings.
"We'll go with him, and let it roll, " Hill said.
