Giroux pitches Hawaii to road win in Big West opener

The Hawaii baseball team’s first out-of-state and Big West Conference game of the season was a success today thanks to a pitcher making his first start of the season.

Alex Giroux allowed four hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings as Hawaii beat CSU Bakersfield 2-0 in Bakersfield, Calif.

Giroux, a junior right-hander, threw 108 pitches and was removed with runners at first and second and two outs. Itsuki Takemoto came on and recorded a three-pitch strikeout to end the eighth. He put two on in the ninth, but escaped for his fourth save.

The Rainbow Warriors (11-6) have won six of their past seven.

Giroux, a sinker/slider pitcher, had made six relief appearances with a 4.24 ERA over 17 innings. He threw 3 2/3 innings and 58 pitches March 8 against Rice for his longest outing and most pitches thrown this season.

Prior to the eighth, the only trouble Giroux (3-0) got into came in the third when the Roadrunners (3-15) had two runners on and one out. He got a flyout and a groundout to end the threat.

Hawaii’s only road game came Feb. 28, a 15-2 victory at Hawaii Hilo.

The Rainbow Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the first on Jake Tsukada’s two-out single off the second baseman’s glove that scored Austin Machado.

UH went up 2-0 in the fourth on Stone Miyao’s single to left that scored Tsukada, who reached on a bunt single, advanced to second on an errant throw by the pitcher and reached third on a balk.

The Rainbow Warriors had two runners in scoring position and one out in the seventh, but Roadrunners starter Ryan Verdugo got a strikeout and groundout to escape the jam.

In the ninth, CSU Bakersfield had runners at first and second with one out, but Takemoto got a flyout and swinging strike three to end it.

The three-game series continues today at 10 a.m. The series finale Sunday also will be at 10 a.m.