O’Brien dominant in pitching Hawaii to victory

Right-handed pitcher Liam O’Brien pitched a one-hitter over seven scoreless innings to lift the Hawaii baseball team to an 11-3 victory over Northeastern today at Les Murakami Stadium.

O’Brien allowed only Justin Bosland’s bunt single in the third inning. It was the only hit O’Brien has allowed in 17 1/3 inning this season, his first with UH since transferring from Gonzaga. He struck out six, walked one and went to three-ball counts to four of the 23 batters he faced.

Jared Quandt smacked a three-run homer, a rocket over the right-field fence, in the sixth inning to stretch the ’Bows’ lead to 8-0. Quandt drove in five runs.

Xaige Lancaster added a bases-empty blast in the UH eighth.

Shunske Sakaino reached base in each of his first five plate appearances on two singles and three hit by pitches. He also made an athletic play when he fielded a ball in the gap between first and second, then fired to first baseman Ben Zeigler-Namoa.

The ’Bows, who improved to 9-2, play host to the Huskies in today’s finale of the four-game series. The ’Bows won two of the first three games.