UH pitcher Stephen Bryant gave up three runs on six hits in 61Ú3 innings yesterday against Louisiana Tech, his first WAC start of the season.
Tech’s 6-run ninth
beats ’Bows
A three-run lead becomes a three-run
deficit and UH loses its first WAC
series of the year
After Friday's hard-fought win, Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs were at the top of the Western Athletic Conference when it came to scrappiness and never giving up.
All the Bulldogs had to do yesterday was be patient and wait for the Rainbows to implode.
The disaster came in the top of the ninth inning when LaTech (9-15, 2-1 WAC) scored six runs on just two hits to win 9-6 and take the conference series 2-1 before 1,501 at Les Murakami Stadium.
The 'Bows stranded 11 runners and made a crucial error on a potential inning-ending double-play ball in the ninth when the scored was tied 6-6.
"We played scared and tentative all weekend after getting knocked around a couple of times by Winthrop," said UH coach Mike Trapasso. "We had a chance to win this series, but we didn't have the killer instinct. We played not to lose and you lose every time you do that. We will correct that."
The UH bullpen was unable to protect a 6-1 lead the Rainbows (13-12, 1-2) took with a six-run sixth inning.
Through six innings, UH pitcher Stephen Bryant held the Bulldogs to one run, a second-inning home run by Ryan Hamilton, and four hits. He fanned the first batter in the seventh, then gave up singles to Hamilton and Albie Goulder and walked Mims Boyce.
"Stephen pitched well enough to win," said Trapasso who put his players off-limits to the media following the game.
Rich Olsen relieved Bryant and gave up a run-scoring single to Joseph McCarthy and walked Gary Holik to force in the third LaTech run.
Darrell Fisherbaugh relieved Olsen and got out of the inning on a double play. He survived the eighth despite walking two batters, but hit Boyce and McCarthy to start the ninth.
"Darrell was throwing tentative, pitching scared and that is not like him," Trapasso said.
Guy McDowell relieved Fisherbaugh and hit pinch hitter Brian Rike, loading the bases.
After Brandon Haygood struck out, Adam Cobb singled off McDowell's glove, scoring Boyce. Brady Bascle poked an outside pitch into right field to send McCarthy and Rike home.
Gil Laird then hit a bouncer to Jonathan Hee, who entered the game in the seventh as a defensive replacement for Adam Roberts at third base. Hee's throw pulled Isaac Omura off second base, allowing Cobb to score the go-ahead run. McDowell walked the next two batters to force home another run and Boyce's sacrifice fly off Dean Turner completed the scoring.
Hawaii third-base coach Travis Janssen congratulated Isaac Omura after his two-run triple gave the Rainbows a 6-1 lead.
Luis Avila walked to start Hawaii's big sixth and took second when Rocky Russo bounced a ball over third into left for a single. Greg Kish was credited with an infield single on his sacrifice-bunt attempt when he beat the throw to first.
That ended the afternoon for LaTech starter Andrew Lassere.
Jeff Piaskowski hit reliever Matt Lacy's first pitch for a sacrifice fly to right to score Avila and tie the score at 1-1. Roberts was hit by a pitch, reloading the bases.
Joe Spiers came to the plate 1-for-12 in the series, but lined a ball into the gap in right center to drive in Russo and Kish. Erik Ammon walked to load the bases for the third time in the inning.
LaTech coach Wade Simoneaux went to the bullpen for Brody Love, a left-hander, to face the left-handed hitting Omura, UH's leading batter with a .410 average entering the game.
Omura drove the first pitch to left-center field. McCarthy attempted to snag the ball with a diving catch, but only deflected it into open space. Omura ended up with a two-run triple and UH had a 6-1 lead.
The Rainbows leave today on their first road trip of the season. They play at Pacific tomorrow, then resume WAC action at Fresno State on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Hawaii won three of four games here against Pacific earlier this year. Junior right-hander Colby Summer will start for UH.
WAC standings
Conference Overall W L Pct. GB W L San Jose State* 3 0 1.000 - 13 8 Louisiana Tech 2 1 .667 - 9 15 Hawaii 1 2 .333 - 13 12 Rice 0 3 .000 - 15 8 Fresno State 0 0 .000 - 14 15 Nevada 0 0 .000 - 12 7 * - San Jose State has one nonconference tie
Yesterday
Nevada 13, Stony Brook 6
San Jose State 5-4, Rice 1-1
Louisiana Tech 9, Hawaii 6
Louisiana Tech 9, Hawaii 6
LaTech AB R H BI Hawaii AB R H BI Haygood 2b 5 0 0 0 Spiers ss 4 1 2 2 Cobb cf 5 1 1 1 Ammon c 1 1 1 0 Tabor dh 3 0 0 0 Omura 2b 4 0 1 2 Bascle prÚdh 1 1 1 2 Inouye cf 5 0 0 0 Laird rf 5 1 0 1 Avila 1b 3 1 0 0 Hamilton 3b 3 2 2 1 Russo dh 5 1 2 0 Goulder 1b 4 1 2 1 Kish rf 4 1 2 0 Boyce c 2 1 0 1 Piaskowski lf 4 0 1 1 McCarthy lfÚss 4 1 3 1 Roberts 3b 2 1 0 0 Holik ss 1 0 0 0 ÊHee 3b 1 0 0 0 ÊHudson ph 0 0 0 1 ÊSantiago prÚlf 0 0 0 0 ÊRike phÚlf 0 1 0 0 Totals 33 9 9 9 Totals 33 6 9 5 LaTech 010 000 206 - 9 9 0 Hawaii 000 006 000 - 6 9 1 E-Hee. DP-LaTech 1; Hawaii 2. LOB-LaTech 8, Hawaii 11. 2B-Spiers. 3B-Omura. HR-Hamilton. SH-Holik; Ammon. SF-Boyce; Piaskowski. SB-McCarthy; Spiers. CS-Spiers.
LaTech IP H R ER BB SO Lassere 5 6 3 3 4 2 Lacy 1Ú3 1 3 3 1 0 Love 2 2 0 0 3 0 Alverson (W, 2-2) 12Ú3 0 0 0 0 1 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Bryant 61Ú3 6 3 3 1 6 Olsen 0 1 0 0 1 0 Fisherbaugh 12Ú3 0 2 2 2 0 McDowell (L, 2-2) 1Ú3 2 4 2 2 1 Turner 2Ú3 0 0 0 0 0 WP-Lassere; Lacy. HBP-by Lacy (Roberts); by Fisherbaugh (Boyce); by Fisherbaugh (McCarthy); by McDowell (Rike).
Umpires-Kendal Snyder (home), Ron Ridd (first), Kelly Gonzales (third).
T-3:23. A-1,501.
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