BELLEVUE, WA - Behind the power bat duo of Sam Kane and Kenny Ishikawa, Seattle U baseball dropped Tarleton State, 11-6, in their conference series opener on Friday. The duo, nicknamed Thunder and Lightning, combined to go 5-for-10 with three home runs and five runs batted in.
Ishikawa wasted no time putting his mark on the game, hitting a lead-off home run in the bottom of the 1st inning, his 6th home run of the season and his 3rd lead off blast of the year.
Kane proved lightning does strike twice when he hit a home run in the 3rd and 6th inning, his 9th and 10th of the season. It also brought his career tally to 19, tying, then passing Grant Heiser for sole possession of 3rd all-time in program history. He also moved into a tie for the conference lead in home runs, tying Utah Valley's Luke Iverson.
They weren't the only two to have a standout day at the dish, with Jared Stevenson, Vicente Feliciano, and Hunter Komine all driving in a pair of runs each.
On the mound, Blake Smith (1-3) picked up his first win of the 2025 season, going six innings while allowing four earned. Smith did not allow a run over his final four innings and struck out three Texans.
Rafael Espinoza also had a first, recording save number one for his Redhawk career. He finished off the final three innings and allowed just two runs.
The win improves the Redhawks to 11-18 overall and to 2-5 in WAC play. Their strong home record also moved to 9-4. They will look to take the series with a doubleheader with the Texans scheduled for tomorrow to close out the series. Game one is scheduled for a 10:00am PT first pitch, with game two starting approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first.
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Ishikawa wasted no time putting his mark on the game, hitting a lead-off home run in the bottom of the 1st inning, his 6th home run of the season and his 3rd lead off blast of the year.
Kane proved lightning does strike twice when he hit a home run in the 3rd and 6th inning, his 9th and 10th of the season. It also brought his career tally to 19, tying, then passing Grant Heiser for sole possession of 3rd all-time in program history. He also moved into a tie for the conference lead in home runs, tying Utah Valley's Luke Iverson.
B6 | SO NICE, SAM DID IT TWICE!!!!
— Seattle U Baseball (@SeattleUBase) April 4, 2025
?? https://t.co/7KKSgBVm5B pic.twitter.com/lyJ5gbpeeR
They weren't the only two to have a standout day at the dish, with Jared Stevenson, Vicente Feliciano, and Hunter Komine all driving in a pair of runs each.
On the mound, Blake Smith (1-3) picked up his first win of the 2025 season, going six innings while allowing four earned. Smith did not allow a run over his final four innings and struck out three Texans.
Rafael Espinoza also had a first, recording save number one for his Redhawk career. He finished off the final three innings and allowed just two runs.
The win improves the Redhawks to 11-18 overall and to 2-5 in WAC play. Their strong home record also moved to 9-4. They will look to take the series with a doubleheader with the Texans scheduled for tomorrow to close out the series. Game one is scheduled for a 10:00am PT first pitch, with game two starting approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first.
Donate Today
Fans interested in making a gift to Seattle University Athletics can do so by clicking here. Your gift directly impacts all Redhawk student athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Thank you for supporting Seattle University Athletics!
Follow Along With the Action
Stay connected with Seattle U baseball and get all the latest team updates by downloading the GoSeattleU mobile app available now for free in the App Store or Google Play.