Friday, April 9, 1999
’Bows rain runs
on Falcons in
34-11 romp
Despite coming into the
By Al Chase
series with no road wins, UH
sweeps three games
from Air Force
Star-BulletinWhen the University of Hawaii baseball team arrives at Honolulu Airport later today, it's a good bet everyone will still be talking about the biggest offensive explosion in Rainbow history.
The 35-hit, 34-11 trouncing yesterday of a severely depleted Air Force pitching staff went a long way toward removing some of the demons several UH hitters had battled lately.
However, the most encouraging performance was turned in by junior left-hander Dusty Bergman, who won his first game of the season to complete a sweep of the three-game Western Athletic Conference series.
With winds of 50 to 60 miles an hour strafing Hobbs Field in Pueblo, Colo., the entire game, it was apropos that a player named Dusty would make the adjustments necessary to pitch a successful 6° innings in conditions bordering on the bizarre.
"That's how it was in Carson (Nev.) most days I pitched. You'd have 20-to-30 mile an hour winds, but usually it was blowing in toward the infield. It was different here," said Bergman.
Yesterday's gale force winds blew straight out to left field and took a lot of infield dirt with them.
"With my curveball, I was just hanging it up in the wind and it was blowing it across (the plate). My fastball, I was able to throw it in there and the wind was knocking it down so it had real good sink on the end," Bergman said.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder had to shelve pitching out of a windup after being blown off the mound several times, making his living pitching from the stretch starting in the second inning.
There were mental adjustments as well.
"The first inning, I couldn't believe what was going on and I was really frustrated," Bergman said. "I knew we were going to score a lot of runs, so I just calmed down and kept throwing the ball over the plate. We got out of the inning and things started clicking after that."
UH head coach Les Murakami was impressed with Bergman's performance. "I thought Bergman pitched fantastic, especially with all the conditions and, on top of that, the way we played defense, four errors in the first inning that led to three runs. To me, it's the best game he's pitched since he came here. Maybe he's maturing, but he did pitch very well. I think he might be a comer, at the right time anyway."
Hawaii's three starters to open the season -- Jamie Aloy, Randon Ho and Troy Yoshimasu -- are battling nagging injuries, so having Bergman available to join the rotation is essential. The Rainbows (26-13, 8-10 WAC) won't play a WAC series again until Rice visits April 23-25.
The rest of the WAC teams will play six conference games prior to the Rice series. The Owls and Texas Christian are well ahead of the pack at the top of the standings. The next six teams, fighting for the last four WAC tournament berths, are separated by just two games.
Hawaii is in seventh place by percentage points and could move up one or two spots during the next two weeks if the other five tournament contenders take turns knocking each other off.
Hawaii 34, Air Force 11
Hawaii AB R H BI Air Force AB R H BI Takamori rf 6 5 5 3 Stolley lf 2 1 0 0 Dartt 2b 8 7 6 3 Shultz ph/lf 2 0 0 0 Aloy 1b 6 5 3 6 Thiessen ss/3b 4 2 1 2 Tanigwa ph/1b 1 1 1 1 Carville 1b 3 3 1 1 Martines dh 8 2 4 4 Humphrey dh 5 1 3 0 Nakano lf 6 1 5 6 Boomsma rf 1 0 0 0 Honma ph/lf 2 0 0 1 Gornick ph/rf 3 1 1 0 Nogawa 3b 6 1 2 2 Davis c 3 0 0 0 Taguchi ph/3b 1 1 0 0 Murphy c 2 1 1 0 Miller ss 7 3 2 1 Jones 3b 2 0 0 1 Wakakuwa c 4 3 3 1 Wolfram ss 2 0 0 1 Hansen ph/c 1 1 1 2 Shannon 2b 5 0 1 1 Mitchell cf 5 3 2 0 Hillberg cf 1 1 1 0 Baker cf 1 1 1 1 Berg cf 4 1 2 1 Totals 62 34 35 31 Totals 40 11 11 8 Hawaii 237 005 656--34 35 5 Air Force 310 110 320--11 11 6E--Dartt 3 (6), Aloy (5), Miller (10), Shultz (1), Murphy (5), Wolfgram (2), Shannon 2 (17), Hillberg (4). DP--Air Force 1. LOB--Hawaii 8, Air Force 8.2B--Takamori (6), Dartt (7), Martines 2 (3), Nakano (7), Humphrey (10), Hillberg (12). 3b--Dartt (3), Berg (1). HR--Aloy 2 (4), Miller (3), Hansen (1), Baker (1), Thiessen (9), Carville (7). SB--Takamori (25), Dartt (10), Mitchell (6). CS--Wakakuwa. SF--Thiessen (5).
Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Bergman (W 1-2) 6.1 8 9 6 3 6 Mackenzie 0.2 3 2 2 0 1 Garrick 1 0 0 0 0 1 Wheeler 1 0 0 0 0 2 Air Force IP H R ER BB SO Bashore (L 2-2) 3 14 12 8 2 4 Werner 2.1 7 5 4 1 0 Cisar 1.2 4 6 1 2 0 Goldsberry 1 4 5 5 1 2 Noegel 1 6 6 6 0 0WP--Bergman 2 (3), Bayshore 2 (6), Werner (1), Cisar (4), Goldsberry (1). HBP--Carville 2 (by Bergman, Taguchi (by Noegel). Umpires--Leonard (plate), Schaefer (first), Loutensock (third). A--57. T--3:35.Records set or tied during yesterday' game:
Individual records set: Most errors, inning, 3, Michael Dartt. Most hits, game, 6, Dartt. Most runs scored, game, 7, Dartt.
Individual records tied: Most at bats, game, 8, Dartt, Scooter Martines.
Team records set: Most runs scored, game, 34. Most hits, game, 35. Most home runs, game, 5. Most RBIs, game, 31. Most total bases, game, 57.
WAC
Conference Overall Team W L Pct. GB W L Pct. Texas Christian 12 2 .857 -- 21 14 .600 Rice 13 3 .813 -- 33 8 .805 San Jose St. 7 5 .583 4 16 16 .500 Nevada-LV 7 5 .583 4 18 21 .462 Brigham Young 7 8 .467 5-1/2 18 18 .500 New Mexico 7 8 .467 5-1/2 19 19 .500 Hawaii 8 10 .444 6 26 13 .667 San Diego St. 5 7 .417 6 18 19 .486 Utah 3 7 .300 7 15 16 .484 Air Force 2 8 .200 8 16 20 .444 Fresno St. 2 10 .167 9 18 24 .429New Mexico & San Jose St. played one tie game.Yesterday's results
Hawaii 34, Air Force 11
Rice 7, Brigham Young 1Today's games
Brigham Young at Rice (2)
Utah at Texas Christian
New Mexico at San Diego State
San Jose State at Nevada-Las VegasTomorrow's games
Air Force at Fresno State
Utah at Texas Christian
New Mexico at San Diego State
San Jose State at Nevada-Las VegasSunday's games
Air Force at Fresno State
Utah at Texas Christian
New Mexico at San Diego State
San Jose State at Nevada-Las Vegas
