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After challenging his pitching after a series-opening loss, the Dirtbags responded and on Sunday freshman Jason Gerfers pitched a complete game – striking out seven batters allowing one run as the Dirtbags won 2-1 to win the series.
Gerfers was the first true freshman to go the distance since Juaron Watts-Brown completed the feat back in 2022.
“Feels good, adrenaline’s still running,” Gerfers said about his arm after his historic outing. “So I can keep going if I wanted to.”
In the second inning, Dylan Lina led off with a home run to left field to give the Dirtbags a 1-0 lead – the second game in a row the senior hit a blast.
“Just being confident in myself and in my work,” Lina said. “Just trusting my ability. You know, we got a good scouting report, basically just trying to jump on them early.”
LBSU had continued to put pressure on the Rainbow Warriors (10-9, 1-5) as Matt Toomey and Smith Chandler got on back with a hit-by-pitch and a walk. However, Liam O’Brien got out of the jam and stranded the runner as the Dirtbags led 1-0.
The teams went scoreless in the third and in the top half of the fourth Hawai’i took advantage of a freebie from Gerfers as he walked Kamana Nahuku. Ben Zeigler-Namoa put the the pressure on Gerfers when he singled to bring Elijah Ickes up to the plate.
After Ickes delivered an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1, Gerfers got out of the jam in the fourth.
The Dirtbags put the pressure on Liam O’Brien in the fifth after Trevor Goldenetz led the inning off with a walk. That’s when the Warriors brought in Brody Martin-grudzielanek in relief.
Jake Evans came up clutch with a double to put runners on second and third with no outs. Toomey provided game-winning lift when he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Goldenetz to give the Dirtbags a 2-1 lead.
From that point, Gerfers held off the Rainbow Warriors bats as he pitched three scoreless innings to bring his pitch total to 110 after the eighth inning. With his pitch count in a place some might expect a pitching change, Bruce left Gerfers in with the chance to finish off the complete game.
“ I think at that point it just became really hitter to hitter,” Bruce said. “That’s kind of what we were thinking. It was hitter to hitter, and I fully trust Abe (Alvarez) and what he’s doing with our pitching staff. Those guys were in sync. So whatever they worked out and wanted to work out, I’m fully behind it.”
Gerfers gave up a lead-off single but retired the Warriors in order to complete the historic feat.
“Been a long time since I’ve seen that as a freshman, to be honest,” Bruce said. “There’s been a lot of good ones and a lot of good ones that rolled through here. One of them is our pitching coach – he was one of the best ever. But the performance that Gerfers had, it’s really rewarding when you see these guys start maturing.”
The Dirtbags will be back in action on Tuesday when they host LMU before they hit the road for a series against Cal State Bakersfield.
