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Monday, March 27, 2000
Mistakes costly
for Rainbows
San Jose State capitalizes
By Al Chase
on early miscues to win the
third game of series
Star-Bulletin SportsRich Snider will remember two plays he did not make in the second inning for a long time.
The University of Hawaii hitters better think about how the San Jose State Spartan pitching staff shut them down this weekend.
Why? Because the next Western Athletic Conference series for the Rainbows is against these same Spartans at San Jose, Calif., April 7-9.
The 'Bows entered the series with a team .300 batting average. They hit just .232 against SJSU.
The Spartans made the most of one physical and one mental error by Snider yesterday to grab an early lead en route to a 6-1 victory at Rainbow Stadium.
It was the first WAC series loss for Hawaii this season.
"We tightened up the WAC," UH head coach Les Murakami said. "When you lose at home you're in deep trouble. Now you have to go over there and win a series."
Twelve of Hawaii's remaining 18 league games are on the road.
Things fell apart quickly for Snider yesterday in the second inning with one out and runners on first and third.
The UH right-hander hit Adam Shorsher with a 1-2 pitch, loading the bases. Gary Patchett bunted the first pitch toward first, but Snider booted the ball as one run scored.
He then fanned Brian Stream, but on Ryan Brucker's high bouncer to Aloy at first, Snider failed to cover the bag. Another run scored.
Junior Ruiz followed with a one-strike line single to center to score two more teammates.
When Tony Tognetti started the third with a double and scored on Brandon Macchi's single, that was it for Snider, his quickest exit in his past six starts.
He was replaced by Grant Sato, who turned in seven very creditable innings of relief.
Spartan head coach Sam Piraro turned to left-hander Tim Adinolfi, normally a reliever, to start the series-deciding game.
Adinolfi also finished it by scattering eight hits, walking no one and striking out four. He also induced the 'Bows to hit into three double plays.
The Rainbows managed to get two men on base just once, in the third inning when Nate Jackson doubled inside the third-base bag and scored on Sean Takamori's single up the middle.
Hawaii sent the minimum of three batters to the plate in five of the last six innings.
"At this stage, everybody's got things on us and I've been telling our kids this: If you don't know your weaknesses, you're going to be in trouble," Murakami said.
"Their pitchers did a very good job. They just worked on our weaknesses."
The loss leaves the 'Bows tied for first place with Fresno State in the WAC standings.
Hawaii begins Rainbow Easter Tournament action tonight at 6:37 against Lewis-Clark State.
This gives the Rainbows seven tournament games in seven days to correct their weaknesses.
Murakami will chose between Chad Giannetti, Gavin Garrick and Sean Yamashita for tonight's starting pitcher.
'BOW BUNTS: Danny Kimura broke a bone in his right thumb diving back into second base Friday night and won't be pitching anytime soon. ... Outfielder Darin Baker has tendinitis in his right shoulder and is day to day.
WAC standings
Conference Overall W L Pct. W L Pct. Fresno State 8 4 .667 23 8 .742 Hawaii 8 4 .667 17 14 .548 San Jose State 5 4 .556 18 9 .667 Rice 5 7 .417 15 16 .484 Texas Christian 3 6 .333 11 20 .355 Hawaii-Hilo 4 8 .333 13 18 .419 Saturday's results
Hawaii 9, San Jose State 2
Fresno State 6, Rice 3
Texas Christian 4, Texas Wesleyan 3Yesterday's results
San Jose State 6, Hawaii 1
Rice 5, Fresno State 2
Tarleton State 8, Texas Christian 5 (10 innings)Today's games
Rainbow Easter Tournament
Winthrop vs. Pepperdine, 2:30 p.m.
Hawaii vs. Lewis-Clark State, 6:37 p.m.Tomorrow's games
Rainbow Easter Tournament
Pepperdine vs. Lewis-Clark State, 2:30 p.m.
Hawaii vs. Winthrop, 6:37 p.m.
Spartans 6, Rainbows 1
San Jose St. ab r h bi Hawaii ab r h bi Stream 2b 5 0 1 0 Takamori cf 4 0 2 1 Brucker cf 5 0 1 1 Pico ss 3 0 1 0 Ruiz lf 4 1 3 2 Chan ph 1 0 1 0 Fagan 1b 4 0 1 1 Martines lf 4 0 1 0 Hiegel dh 4 1 2 0 Kimura dh 3 0 0 0 Douglas pr 0 0 0 0 Bock ph 1 0 0 0 Tognetti 3b 5 1 5 0 Wakakuwa c 3 0 1 0 Macchi rf 4 1 2 1 Scalabrini 3b 3 0 0 0 Shorsher c 2 1 0 0 Aloy 1b 3 0 1 0 Patchett ss 3 1 0 1 Purtell 2b 2 0 0 0 Nogawa ph-2b 1 0 0 0 Jackson cf 2 1 1 0 Mitchell ph-cf 1 0 0 0 Totals 36 6 11 6 Totals 31 1 8 1
San Jose State 041 100 000 - 6 11 0 Hawaii 001 000 000 - 1 8 0 E-Snider (1).
DP-SJS 3 (Patchett-Stream-Fagan, Fagan-Patchett-Adinolfi, Stream-Patchett-Fagan), UH 2 (Sato-Purtell-Aloy, Purtell-Aloy). LOB-SJS 9, UH 3.
2B-Hiegel (3), Tognetti (5), Jackson (3). SB-Ruiz (5). CS-Takamori (4). SH-Patchett (2).
ip h r er bb so San Jose State Adinolfi (W, 2-1) 9 8 1 1 0 4 Hawaii Snider (L, 5-3) 7 10 7 5 1 1 Lee 1 1 0 0 0 0 Jones 1 3 2 1 0 1 WP-Snider (3), Sato 2 (3). HBP-Shorsher and Fagan (by Snider), Shorsher (by Sato).
Umpires-Ausmus (plate), Henderson (first), Tomaszewski (third), T-2:12. A-1,201.
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
