The University of Hawai’i baseball team suffered its first defeat of the 2026 season, losing 7-2 to Gonzaga in a 12-inning contest at Les Murakami Stadium on Sunday.
After both teams were tied at two runs each heading into the 12th inning, Gonzaga scored five runs to secure the win. Noah Meffert hit an RBI double to give the Bulldogs the lead, followed by a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly that extended their advantage to 5-2. Two additional runs in the inning completed the scoring for Gonzaga.
Gonzaga opened the scoring in the third inning with two runs. Bo Shinkle drove in one run with a single and later scored on Tommy Eisenstat’s two-out base hit.
Hawai’i responded in the sixth inning with two runs to tie the game. Elijah Ickes singled and Evan Rolbiecki doubled to start the inning. Ickes then scored on a groundout by Tino Bethancourt, and Jake Redding followed with an RBI double.
Redding went 2-for-5 at the plate, continuing his strong start for Hawai’i. He currently leads the team with a .417 batting average, three doubles, and three RBIs.
Freshman pitcher Brody Martin-Grudzielanek made his first career start for Hawai’i, pitching four innings with three strikeouts while allowing one earned run on four hits. Relievers Jack Berg, Tsubasa Tomii, and John Alkire II combined for five shutout innings, giving up only three hits during that stretch.
This loss marks just Hawai’i’s second defeat in its last 16 Sunday home games since 2024. The only other Sunday home loss during this period was against Long Beach State on April 6, 2025. Over these games, Hawai’i has outscored opponents by a combined margin of 131-43.
The Rainbow Warriors will attempt to win the series against Gonzaga in Monday’s finale scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
