MORAGA, Calif. – USF senior starter Anthony Shew was looking good through the first four frames, only allowing one run on four hits while working himself out of first-and-third jams in two of those early innings, but an eight-run explosion by Hawai'i in the top of the fifth put the game away in USF's 11-3 loss to the Rainbow Warriors on Friday morning at Saint Mary's College.
 
Shew (0-1), who was making his first appearance of the year, ended up going 4.2 innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out one.
 
Beau Bozett turned in a 2-for-3 day at the plate for USF, while Manny Ramirez, Jr. and Dan James each drove in runs. 
Hawai'i (3-4) had its big fifth inning capped off by a three-run home run to right field by leadoff man Matt LoCoco.
 
Up to that point, both teams traded runs in the early going as Ramirez brought home the first run of the game in the bottom of the third on a deep sacrifice fly with the bases that backed the Hawai'i right fielder up to the right field wall.
 
Josh Rojas helped Hawai'i even it up in the next half inning with a sac fly to left that brought home Alan Baldwin and tied the game at 1-1.  
 
USF (0-7) moved back ahead right away when Bozett hit a chopper in between shortstop and third base that he beat out and then advanced to second on Jacob Sheldon-Collins' errant throw to first, which allowed a USF run to score and give the Dons a 2-1 advantage in what would be their last lead of the game. 
 
"It was a pretty good game while he was in there," said head coach Nino Giarratano about his starting pitcher, Shew. "He was on a pitch count. I wanted to work to get him through the fifth, but he got a little unlucky, gave up some hits, and we didn't play the kind of defense we needed to play.
 
"We need some confidence. We need someone to go out there and pitch. We've been getting hit pretty hard. We're going to have to find it."  
 
Brendan Hornung (1-2) picked up the victory for the Rainbow Warriors, going 7.0 innings and allowing three runs (2 earned) on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
 
LoCoco enjoyed a big day at the plate by going 4-for-6 with the home run and three RBI. Kekai Rios (2-for-3, R) also drove in three runs for Hawai'i.
 
 
WEB GEMS: 2B Aaron Ping made another nice defensive play by diving to his left with runners on first and second with no outs in top of seventh, preventing the runner from being able to score from second.
 
NOTES: Today's game was played at Louis Guisto Field due to ongoing construction of USF's new ballpark… SS Nico Giarratano extended his hitting streak to six games with a single in the seventh.    
 
UP NEXT: The Dons and Rainbow Warriors continue the three-game series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. first pitch from Louis Guisto Field. LHP Chase Gardner (0-1) is slated to take the mound for the Dons.