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Friday, April 28, 2000
’Bows sputter again
Star-Bulletin staff
on WAC roadFORT WORTH, Tex. - Another conference loss. Same reasons.
"Today we had chances, had the right guys up, the meat of the order, and we couldn't even get the ball out of the infield," University of Hawaii head baseball coach Les Murakami said after a 4-1 loss to Texas Christian University yesterday.
TCU right-hander Chris Bradshaw allowed eight hits. The Horned Frogs rode a three-run sixth inning on the way to the win in the first of a three game series.
The WAC losing streak is now six for Hawaii (9-13 WAC, 22-26 overall), which has won just once in its last 11 conference games.
The Rainbows' run came on Darin Baker's lead off homer in the eighth.
It broke a streak of 17 scoreless innings and was only the second time UH has scored in the last 27 innings.
Kenn Wakakuwa, Hawaii's leading hitter, came up three times with runners in scoring position. He hit a soft line drive to second on the first chance and bounced into a fielder's choice twice.
"He's trying too hard, pulling out on his swing. He doesn't have the fluid swing he had earlier in the year," Murakami said. "It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is.
"Scooter (Martines) and Danny (Kimura) have always had trouble with the four spot (pitches on the outside corner, knee high). If they don't concentrate on going to all fields, they will continue to have trouble."
The pair went 1-for-8.
With Rory Pico possibly out for the year and Sean Takamori still not able to run at full speed, Murakami juggled his lineup.
Patrick Scalabrini, 6-for-10 against Rice, was moved to the lead off spot. He went 0-for-5.
Jamie Aloy was the designated hitter for the first time in a game he pitched this year. He drew two walks, had a sacrifice and singled with two outs in the sixth.
Hawaii had a chance to tie the score at 1-1 in the fourth, but Lane Nogawa hesitated breaking from third base on a wild pitch and was thrown out at the plate.
"It's a reaction type of thing. If you're going to go, you have to go right away," Murakami said.
Aloy turned in a solid pitching performance, but, suffered with no offensive support.
TCU took a 1-0 lead in the second when Jason Price singled to left on the first pitch, stole second, and took third on a ground out. He scored when Aloy couldn't get a handle on Rudy Rivera's chopper.
In the sixth, Brad Rogers hit an opposite field two-run homer, sparking the final three-run rally.
HORNED FROGS 4, RAINBOWS 1
HAWAII AB R H BI TCU AB R H BI Scalabrini 3b 5 0 0 0 Wilson cf 5 0 0 0 Nogawa ss 4 0 1 0 Macha ss 4 0 0 0 Aloy p-dh 1 0 1 0 Hamilton 1b 2 1 1 0 Mitchell rf 3 0 2 0 Rogers dh 3 1 1 2 Wakakuwa c 4 0 0 0 Price c 4 2 2 0 Kimura 1b 4 0 1 0 Reed rf 4 0 0 0 Martines lf 4 0 0 0 Rivera lf 4 0 1 2 Aoki c 4 0 2 0 Groomer 3b 3 0 2 0 Purtell pr 0 0 0 0 Moses 2b 2 0 0 0 Baker cf 3 1 1 1 Totals 32 1 8 1 Totals 31 4 7 4
Hawaii 000 000 010 - 1 8 2 Texas Christian 010 003 00x - 4 7 0 E-Aloy (5), Wakakuwa (10). DP-None. LOB-Hawaii 9, Texas Christian 9. HR-Baker (1), Rogers (4). SB-Hamilton (7), Price (3), Rivera (3). CS-Nogawa (3), Aloy (1). S-Aloy (6), Moses (5).
Hawaii
IP H R ER BB SO Aloy (L, 6-8) 6 7 4 3 0 2 Giannetti 2 0 0 0 2 0
Texas Christian
IP H R ER BB SO Bradshaw (W, 5-5) 9 8 1 1 4 3 HBP-Hamilton and Groomer (by Aloy), Moses (by Giannetti). Umpires-Ridd (plate), Johnston (first), Eldridge (third). T-2:00. A-280.
WAC STANDINGS
Conference Overall Team W L Pct. W L Pct. Fresno State 14 7 .667 33 12 .733 San Jose State 14 7 .667 29 16 .644 Rice 13 10 .565 29 19 .604 Texas Christian 10 11 .476 19 27 .413 Hawaii 9 13 .409 22 26 .458 Hawaii-Hilo 6 18 .250 15 28 .349 Yesterday
Texas Christian 4, Hawaii 1
Today
Hawaii at Texas Christian, 9:35 a.m.
San Jose State at Fresno State
Dallas Baptist at RiceTomorrow
Hawaii at Texas Christian, 8:05 a.m.
San Jose State at Fresno State
Dallas Baptist at RiceSunday
San Jose State at Fresno State
Hawaii Pacific at Hawaii-Hilo (2), noon
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
