McNally's gem lifts Rainbows to final victory

Hawaii sends its five seniors offwith a 4-3 win over San Diego State

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

Andrew McNally was holding back the tears.

The senior from Australia returned to the University of Hawaii this season determined to restore the glory days to a proud baseball program.

McNally was the last man to march in the Rainbows' postseason parade. As a freshman in 1993, he helped Hawaii to a 9-8 victory over the University of North Carolina in the Central I Regional.

But a return engagement wasn't meant to be.

A nagging groin injury kept McNally from having an active role in realizing that dream, something that hit him hard minutes after pitching a 10-inning, 4-3 victory over rival San Diego State.

"This is a very emotional moment for me," McNally said, his voice breaking and his eyes brimming with tears. "I wanted so much to be a leader on this team and to be the guy who took them to the regionals. I wasn't able to do that.

"So going out like this, well, it means a lot. When I started off, I didn't have it. I was struggling with everything. But late in the game, I knew I had to turn it up to give us a chance.

"I just tried to get ahead of the batters with off-speed stuff. I struck out those last two guys with the best splitties (split-finger fastballs) I've ever thrown. I'm so glad I could go out this way in a game like this one."

The Rainbows finished 14-16 in Western Athletic Conference play and were 22-34 for the season. Despite an awful 5-22 start, the Rainbows rallied to win five of their last six series and 12 of their final 19 games.

Big Island senior Robert Medeiros went three-for-three and scored two runs, but fell one hit shy of cracking the .400 barrier. San Diego State pitchers intentionally walked him his last two times up, a tactic that allowed the Rainbows to tie the game in the ninth.

"They were playing the percentages," UH head coach Les Murakami said. "No way they didn't pitch to him just to keep Medeiros from having a chance to hit .400.

"I was so happy for Andrew. This is why I saved him for the last game. I wanted him to have a chance to go out with a win and he did it.

"He was a leader on this team. He kept the guys from hanging their heads. He wouldn't let them quit. I just wish we could have gone to a regional for him and our other seniors. I feel sorry for them."

McNally and Medeiros were two of five seniors, who took part in the traditional run around the bases. Daren Masanda, Daven Hermosura and Robby Robinson joined them in a somewhat unorthodox approach.

Masanda gave a hint as to what was going to happen after he went down to first and turned right into the visitor's dugout. The other four seniors gave their fond farewells in similar fashion.

But shortly after Medeiros went in, the fivesome returned in two golf carts. They motored around the bases, throwing water balloons at each other and anyone else foolish enough to get close.

The sentimental journey came next as Medeiros and Masanda went to third and the pitchers took the mound. They then ran toward the plate with all five doing headfirst slides at home.

After exchanging hugs, the rest of their teammates joined them on the field while Madonna's song, "This Used to be My Playground" accompanied.

"It's great we could give these guys something they deserved - a win in their last game," said Michael Dartt, whose run-scoring single in the 10th won the game.

Kelly Konishi added a pair of RBI singles, while Jamie Aloy tied it in the ninth with a single back through the box.

McNally raised his record this season to 4-3 and lowered his ERA to 5.72. His career mark is 21-20. He is first in team history with 57 starts and third in strikeouts with 303.

The Aztecs return home to host the WAC tournament on Wednesday as the No. 5 seed.

Although the loss didn't hurt San Diego State in the grand scheme of things, Aztecs head coach Jim Dietz wasn't pleased with how things turned out.

Starting pitcher Ruben Aguilera was lifted in the third after umpire Gary Montalbo said his pitching delivery was illegal.

Instead of pushing off the rubber, Aguilera's back foot skips forward a little before he releases the ball. Twice Montalbo ruled Aguilera was making an improper move to home, before Dietz lifted him in favor of Justin Brunette.

"The difference in this game was having to remove the pitcher when he wasn't doing anything wrong," said Dietz.

"He's pitched that way since he was in Little League. And we even had our umpires, including (College World Series umpire) Dan Pedersen come in and look at him. They said what he does is unusual, but not illegal."

Montalbo disagreed.

"I didn't notice it until the third inning," Montalbo said. "He hops before he delivers and ends up pushing off a foot in front of the rubber. And that's not legal."

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Medeiros denied his shot at .400

He finishes at .398 after being walked intentionally in his last two times up

By Paul Arnett
Star-Bulletin

Robert Medeiros was about 15 feet from the batter's box when his face broke into a broad smile.

San Diego State catcher Jason Phillips told the University of Hawaii senior that the Aztecs were going to issue an intentional pass for the second time in the Western Athletic Conference game that eventually was won by the Rainbows in 10 innings, 4-3.

Medeiros managed three consecutive hits through the first six innings to raise his average to .398. He knew going into yesterday's final game that he needed a 4-for-4 finish to become only the third hitter in school history to bat .400 for the season.

Both intentional passes in the eighth and ninth innings ordered by San Diego State head coach Jim Dietz occurred with two outs and a runner on second.

"We were trying to win a ballgame," Dietz said. "I didn't care about him hitting .400 or not. I just didn't want him to beat us.

"The first time there were two outs and first base open. Their next hitter after Medeiros was left-handed and we had a left-handed pitcher out there."

San Diego State reliever Jason Brunette got Jamie Aloy to go down swinging in the eighth to end the threat, but the situation was a little different in the ninth.

The Aztecs had right-hander Jody Stevens on the mound when Michael Dartt shot a one-out single to left. After Sean Murphy struck out, the ball got away from Phillips, allowing Dartt to take second. Phillips still threw out Murphy at first for the second out, setting the stage for Medeiros.

"That's when Jason said, 'We're going to do it again, Bobby,' " Medeiros said. "I played summer ball with J.P. at British Columbia. He's my good buddy.

"I was a little sad I wasn't going to get the chance, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I wanted the opportunity. I felt a little shaky in there a couple of times over the weekend.

"So I wondered how I would deal with it if I had the chance to swing for .400. If I had hit the ball more a little earlier, it wouldn't have come down to this."

The strategy backfired on Dietz in the ninth. After Medeiros walked, Aloy came up and tied the game at 3-3 with a single to center, scoring Dartt.

Dartt won the game with a run-scoring single to left in the 10th, but felt a little badly about Medeiros not getting his chance.

"As soon as I took that base on that ball in the dirt (Murphy's strikeout), I knew they were going to walk him," Dartt said. "And I was thinking, 'Oh no.'

"But you've got to play to win, so I needed to be on second in that situation. It all worked out because we got the victory and Bobby still had a great season for us."

Medeiros hit .480 in 27 WAC games. For the season, he led the Rainbows in home runs with nine and RBIs with 55.

"I knew Bobby needed only one more hit for .400," Phillips said. "But we didn't want him to beat us. I wanted to let him know we were going to walk him before he stepped in to hit. He smiled, but I could tell he was disappointed."