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Blasting its past, the University of Hawaii baseball team eased to a 13-0 rout of the alumni Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium. Read more

Blasting its past, the University of Hawaii baseball team eased to a 13-0 rout of the alumni Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium.

The sides entered with different approaches. For the alumni, it was a reunion gathering. The alumni wore numberless jerseys, did not employ base coaches, and the batting order lost its place somewhere in the fourth inning.

For the ’Bows, the game was part of the practice schedule leading to Friday’s first game of the season-opening series against Air Force.

“It was an alumni game,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “You try to get your work in. You might not be locked in and intense, but you can be focused when you’re in the (batter’s) box, focused when you’re throwing your pitch, and focused when you’re on the field. And that’s what we were.”

Chayce Ka‘aua, who was one of two designated hitters in UH’s 10-batter lineup, smacked a two-run homer in the first. Dustin Demeter, who relocated from short to second, powered a three-run homer in a six-run fourth that extended the lead to 11-0.

In six innings, Jackson Rees threw 75 pitches, striking out four and allowing one hit — Adam Roberts’ liner to right in the fourth.

“The alumni was chirping at me for giving up a hit, and I noticed it was a no-hitter that I gave up,” Rees said.

During the offseason, Rees changed his motion from over-the-top to a three-quarter delivery. The alteration gave more oomph to Rees’ fastball and, until recently, added bite to his slider, which Rees struggled to control on Saturday. Trapasso estimated Rees threw only one strike with that pitch.

“He was a one-pitch pitcher,” Trapasso said of Rees’ fastball. “Fortunately for him, it’s a pretty good pitch. His fastball has life, so he can live on it. But nobody can live on one pitch three times through anybody’s lineup. … We have to go back to the drawing board.”

Rees said he expects to regain command of his secondary pitches in bullpen sessions this week. He is scheduled to start in Friday’s opener.

“He’s a really good coach,” Rees said of Trapasso, who handles the pitchers. “He can always spot things out. We’ll be able to figure it out.”

Dylan Thomas, the closer, pitched the final inning. Thomas also will pitch in Monday’s scrimmage in anticipation of being available to pitch twice next weekend.

“I’m ready to get after it,” said Thomas, who added 25 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame and now weighs 200.