Hawaii

Alex Giroux's flawless relief guides Hawaii baseball in CSUN series opener

Published

8 months ago

May 4, 2024

Alex Giroux's flawless relief guides Hawaii baseball in CSUN series opener

HONOLULU — It could take something close to perfection for the Hawaii baseball team to rally its way back into the Big West Conference title race over the next few weeks.

For at least one night, Alex Giroux was game.

Giroux tossed five flawless innings of relief – at one point striking out six batters in a row – and Jordan Donahue gave the Rainbow Warriors just enough to work with offensively in a 3-2 series-opening win over Cal State Northridge at Les Murakami Stadium on Friday night.

UH (27-15, 10-9 Big West) surged back above .500 in conference play with its season-best sixth straight victory and ended the nine-game winning streak of CSUN (28-15, 14-5), which got knocked out of a first-place tie.

The ‘Bows dugout was abuzz after Giroux set down all 15 batters he saw.

“That was unreal. That was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen,” said Donahue, who delivered two hits in two-out situations to drive in all three UH runs. “That was huge. We needed that big time.”

Said coach Rich Hill, “Oh my gosh, yeah, there’s not the proper adjectives to describe what he did tonight. What was it, six strikeouts in a row, eight strikeouts total? Didn’t give up a baserunner. That’s a first-place team that can really hit. Man, stunning performance.”

Giroux (5-2), the right-handed junior from Lake Oswego, Ore., came out for the start of the fifth after freshman Sebastian Gonzalez made his second start and gave up six hits and two runs (one earned) over four innings. UH had a one-run lead thanks to Donahue’s single to left-center to score Naighel Ali‘i Calderon in the fourth.

“Everything felt good. Ball was coming out of my hand really well, it was going where I wanted it to,” Giroux said. “I really had confidence in all my pitches today.”

In particular command was his cutter, which he throws in the low 80s.

“It was probably the best it’s been all season, throwing it as hard as I could and it was finding places where they weren’t touching it,” he said. “I was able to throw my sinker off that, get the outside corner, got a couple guys looking. Kind of had everything going. It was a good night.”

From the last out of the fifth to the first two outs of the seventh, Giroux set down Matador batters at the plate.

He had two comparable outings last year, his first season at UH as a transfer from Washington: five innings of hitless relief with one walk, a hit batsman and one strikeout at Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego; and four innings of relief against UC Santa Barbara with nine strikeouts and no walks at the Les.

The latter was the closest night he could remember to Friday.

It was the second time in 2024 that UH pitchers struck out at least 12 batters without issuing a walk.

With three teams – CSUN, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara – with five losses or fewer in Big West play, UH still has plenty of work to do to either get close to the leaders or put itself in position for consideration for an NCAA at-large bid.

“If we make a run, maybe we get into range. Maybe we win it,” Hill said. “All I care about is tomorrow night.”

Game 2 of the series is 6:35 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium. Members of the 2024 class of the UH Sports Circle of Honor will be introduced on the field before the first pitch.

Third baseman Elijah Ickes made the catch on a CSUN foulout in front of the UH dugout. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Naighel Ali‘i Calderon sprinted to first base on a bunt attempt in the bottom of the eighth. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.

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Hawaii

Hawaiian Islands Under Drought Conditions

Published

10 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Press Room

Hawaiian Islands Under Drought Conditions

(BIVN) – The main Hawaiian Islands are under drought conditions, following a “poor start” to the wet season.

The entire Island of Hawaiʻi is under D1 Moderate Drought conditions, with a portion of leeward North and South Kohala reporting D2 Severe Drought conditions.

D3 Extreme Drought has been reported in areas of Maui, Molokai, and Oʻahu.

From the U.S. Drought Monitor on January 9th:

A poor start to the wet season resulted in a continued drought increase throughout the Hawaiian Islands. On the Big Island, a 1-cat degradation was warranted based on NDVI, precipitation deficits, and streamflow data. Severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought were expanded across Maui. D2 was also expanded eastward along the lower slopes of Molokai. Due to lack of adequate rainfall and NDVI data, D2 coverage was increased across Oahu and Kauai.

The Drought Monitor says that D1 Moderate Drought brings increased fire danger concerns, declining water levels, and pasture / crop growth is stunted. Also, more bugs are observed than normal.

Under D2 Severe Drought conditions, fire danger is high. Pasture conditions and cattle health is poor, while crops like protea, coffee, and sugar cane struggle. Reservoir levels are also low, springs are dried up, and mandatory water restrictions are implemented.

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Hawaii

More than 1,900 nurses at Queen’s Medical Center set begin 3-day strike

Published

22 hours ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

More than 1,900 nurses at Queen’s Medical Center set begin 3-day strike

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – More than 1,900 nurses of Queen’s Medical Center at Punchbowl and West Oahu are set to begin a three-day strike on Monday at 11 a.m.

This comes after failed contract talks between hospital administrators and the Hawaii Nurses’ Association.

Nurses have been working without a contract since June 30.

Nurses and their supporters said they are striking over unfair labor practices.

The hospital said its latest offer would make Queen’s nurses the highest-paid in the state and among the highest in the nation.

The strike is scheduled to end on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 7 a.m.

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‘We can help’: Hawaii hotels could house California fire survivors

Published

1 day ago

January 12, 2025

Press Room

‘We can help’: Hawaii hotels could house California fire survivors

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Thousands of homes have been lost to the inferno around Los Angeles and many thousands have been displaced.

Hawaii’s governor is floating an idea that could bring some of those fire victims here to ease the pressure on resources in California.

Gov. Josh Green said Hawaii has around 25,000 hotel rooms statewide. But he said thousands of those rooms are empty and could be used to house displaced fire survivors.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority issued a report last November that said hotel occupancy is around 70%. meaning 30% of the available rooms aren’t being used.

“We have 25,000 hotel rooms in Hawaii so 20 percent would be 5,000. If they are vacant, and we can take the pressure off of California, it would not affect our housing inventory or long-term housing,” explained Green.

“If those vacancies can be used at an affordable price maybe we can help people get through this crisis.”

Green says California has sent help when Hawaii has encountered natural disasters. He believes Hawaii can help in its own way.

“They have all the firefighters in the world and sent us fire fighters, and its particularly good to take the weight off the small projects,” said Green.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority confirms it has been in talks with the governor about this proposal, but the governor himself said so far, it’s just a possibility.

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