RAINBOW BASEBALL
Wright, ’Bows upend Bulldogs in series opener
FRESNO, CALIF. » Steven Wright regained the effectiveness that was missing in his last two starts to pitch seven good innings and lead the Hawaii Rainbows to a 5-3 victory last night over Fresno State.
Matt Daly and Darrell Fisherbaugh provided solid relief as the Rainbows won the opener of the Western Athletic Conference series on a chilly night at Pete Beiden Field.
The 'Bows (25-9, 3-3) had the answers when the Bulldogs (24-10, 5-2) scored. After FSU tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth, Hawaii broke the tie with two runs in the fifth. Following an FSU run in the fifth that cut the UH lead to 3-2, the 'Bows answered with two runs in the seventh.
"Steven was on top of his game. He was as sharp as I've seen," said Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso. "I credit Este (catcher Esteban Lopez) a lot with the job Steven did.
"It was a mental adjustment for Steven. Whether you are a power or finesse pitcher, you are attempting to throw the ball down in the zone. Every time Steven threw a pitch around Este's mask, he would gesture or go right out to the mound. They worked very well together."
The junior right-hander did hit two batters, one with the bases loaded, and walked two, but he struck out 10 and limited the Bulldogs to four hits.
Hawaii took a 1-0 lead in the second off FSU starter Doug Fister, who beat UH twice last year. Lopez singled to left, moved to second on Jon Hee's sacrifice bunt and scored on Eli Christensen's single to center.
Beau Mills' single to left and a double to left-center field by Christian Vitters, the reigning WAC player of the week, tied the score at 1-1 in the fourth.
Christensen started the fifth with an infield single to short and advanced to third on Joe Spiers' double over left fielder Ozzie Lewis' head. Robbie Wilder's infield single to short scored Christensen and moved Spiers to third. Spiers scored when FSU catcher Frank LoNigro threw the ball into left field on a pickoff attempt.
The Bulldogs' second run came in the fifth when Wright hit Mills, who swings from the left side, with a two-strike pitch and the bases loaded.
"We called for a waste pitch, a back-foot slider and that's exactly where Steven threw it," Trapasso said.
"When Steven came in the dugout we told him his stuff was fine. In the past he would overthrow if he thought he was getting tired. In the sixth and seventh tonight, he showed some maturity and moved to a new level."
With the help of LoNigro being caught stealing, Wright retired the side in order in the sixth and seventh innings.
UH's two runs in the seventh came quickly. Wilder singled to right on a two-strike-pitch and scored when Derek DuPree doubled off the base of the wall in right-center field on Fister's first pitch.
Brandon Miller replaced Fister at this point. DuPree, who continued to third on the throw home, scored on Justin Frash's sacrifice fly to left on Miller's second pitch.
"We had a good approach and swung the bats well early in the game. I was concerned in the eighth and ninth when we got a runner to third with one out and couldn't get them in," Trapasso said. "You know those things will come back to haunt you, but it didn't tonight. This team (Fresno State) is very talented and every single guy is capable of hitting a home run here."
Mills did hit a solo shot over the left-field wall in the eighth for FSU's final run.
The first two Bulldog hitters reached base in the ninth.
Nick Moresi singled and was safe at second when Spiers dropped the throw from Christensen on Erik Wetzel's ground ball to shortstop.
Fisherbaugh replaced Daly on the mound. Steve Susdorf's fly to center advanced the runners to second and third. Fisherbaugh ended the game and picked up his seventh save of the season by fanning Lewis and Kent Sakamoto.
UH is 6-0 on the road this year, 8-0 going back to 2005.
Senior right-hander Justin Costi (4-0, 3.82) starts for Hawaii today (3:30 p.m. Hawaii time).
Hawaii 5, Fresno State 3
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Fresno |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
|
Wilder lf |
3 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
Susdorf dh |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
DuPree cf |
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Lewis lf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Frash dh |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Sakamoto 1b |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Avila 1b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Mills 3b |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2
|
Inouye rf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Vitters ss |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1
|
Lopez c |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Lapin rf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Hee 3b |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
LoNigro c |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Christensen ss |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Moresi cf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Spiers 2b |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Wetzel 2b |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Storey pr |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Totals |
34 |
5 |
10 |
4 |
Totals |
34 |
3 |
7 |
3
|
Hawaii |
|
|
|
010 |
020 |
200 |
-- |
5 |
10 |
3
|
Fresno |
|
|
|
000 |
110 |
010 |
-- |
3 |
7 |
2 |
E--Christensen; Spiers 2; Vitters; LoNigro. DP--Hawaii 1; Fresno 2. LOB--Hawaii 7, Fresno 9. 2B--DuPree; Inouye; Spiers. HR--Mills. S--Hee; Lewis. SF--Frash. SB--Wilder 2; Storey. CS--LoNigro. |
Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Wright (W, 5-3) |
7 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
10
|
Daly |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0
|
Fisherbaugh (S, 7) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Fresno |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Fister (L, 4-4) |
6 1/3 |
9 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
5
|
Miller |
2/3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Sprague |
1/3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Wilson |
2/3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Daly faced 2 batters in the 9th.
WP--Wilson. HBP--by Wright (Susdorf); by Wright (Mills); by Wilson (Wilder). BK--Fister. PB--LoNigro.
Umpires--Bill Speck (plate), Phil Benson (first), Ray Belfiore (third).
T--2:55. A--2,065.
WAC standings
|
Conference |
Overall
|
|
W |
L |
Pct. |
GB |
W |
L
|
Fresno State |
5 |
2 |
.714 |
-- |
24 |
10
|
Louisiana Tech |
4 |
2 |
.666 |
1/2 |
16 |
12
|
Nevada |
4 |
3 |
.571 |
1 |
14 |
15
|
San Jose State |
3 |
3 |
.500 |
1 1/2 |
20 |
12
|
Hawaii |
3 |
3 |
.500 |
1 1/2 |
25 |
9
|
Sacramento State |
3 |
4 |
.429 |
2 |
14 |
20
|
New Mexico State |
1 |
6 |
.143 |
4 |
11 |
23 |
Yesterday
Hawaii 5, Fresno State 3
Louisiana Tech 10, Nevada 8
Sacramento State 15, New Mexico State 5
Today
Nevada at Louisiana Tech
Stanford at San Jose State
Sacramento State at New Mexico State
Hawaii at Fresno State, 3:30 p.m.