RAINBOW BASEBALL
’Bows run out of power in first road game
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. » The Hawaii baseball team's intensity apparently missed the flight to California, and the Rainbows managed just three singles in a 3-1 loss at UC Santa Barbara yesterday.
The total matched a season low in hits for UH after it reached double figures in all three games last week, but it wasn't due to jet lag, UH coach Mike Trapasso said.
"Absolutely not. Hell no," Trapasso said. "That wouldn't matter even if we were on the East Coast. We showed no toughness."
The Rainbows (7-3) had their five-game winning streak snapped, as Gauchos right-hander Steve Morlock went the distance and retired the last 16 batters.
Trapasso hopes Hawaii's focus is back in the second of the three-game set today at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium (11 a.m. Hawaii time on KKEA, 1420-AM).
"We're lucky we didn't get beat 10-1. We just showed no willingness to make an adjustment," Trapasso said. "He just threw the same pitches, and we kept swinging over them."
The Rainbows got the ball out of the infield just seven times.
"The approach we fall into every now and then is we start thinking we're better than we are and we have one of these games," Trapasso added. "This team's not good enough to throw their gloves out on the field and win. This team has to play on all cylinders."
At least the Rainbows won't have to deal with Morlock again.
"He located well with his changeup and threw four pitches for strikes," UCSB coach Bob Brontsema said. "He was getting ahead. It was one of those great pitchers' duels you like to be on the good end of."
The senior right-hander struck out nine and walked one.
UH first baseman Kris Sanchez -- who entered the game with a .543 batting average -- struck out swinging in his first at-bat. He later drove in his team's only run with a sharp single in the fourth.
"The spin on his changeup was exactly like his fastball. He kept us off-balance," said Sanchez, who extended his hitting streak to all 10 games this season and 14 going back to last year.
UCSB touched Rainbows starter and loser Ian Harrington (2-2) for two runs in the first. Patrick Rose blooped the first pitch over Harrington's head and it fell in for an infield single.
"It was a great pitch to start the game with, right on the guy's knuckles, and he hit it into no-man's land," Trapasso said.
Robbie Blauer followed with a single to center. Jorge Franco tried to throw Rose out at third, allowing Blauer to reach second.
Rose then scored on Mario Lewis' groundout to UH shortstop Eli Christensen, with Blauer moving to third.
Mike Zuanich's fly to deep to right then scored Blauer.
"We overthrow the cut and give them second and third, so one run is basically a gift run. They earned one and we gave 'em one," Trapasso said.
The Rainbows closed it to 2-1 in the fourth when Sanchez's single drove in Jon Hee, who had walked. It was starting second baseman Hee's first game back since he injured his shoulder on opening night Jan. 26.
The Gauchos made it 3-1 in their half when Matt Valaika's single scored Zuanich, who had walked to start the inning.
Harrington allowed seven hits in six innings. Matt Daly pitched two innings of hitless relief.
Franco, who usually plays left, was in center replacing Brandon Haislet. Haislet was out with a lower-back injury. Franco had two singles.
"Jorge had a great day," Trapasso said. "He had great swings every at-bat."
Trapasso said he wasn't sure if Haislet would play this weekend. Haislet had started every previous game and batted cleanup, hitting .345.
"If he's swinging well in BP, it's a plus, but we have to go in with the mind-set not to push it," Trapasso said.
Derek DuPree started in center last year but tore an ACL in the summer. He made his first start of the season yesterday (as the designated hitter) and struck out, popped out and flied out.
Mark Rodrigues (3-0, 1.72) starts for UH today against UCSB's Jeff Braun (0-0, 5.40) in a matchup of left-handers.
UC Santa Barbara 3, Hawaii 1
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
UCSB |
AB |
R |
H |
BI
|
Franco cf |
4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Rose 3b |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Hee 2b |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Blauer 1b |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
Frash 3b |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Lewis rf |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1
|
Sanchez 1b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Zuanich lf |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1
|
Christensen ss |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Anderson dh |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Zimny rf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
McMurray c |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Hernandez c |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Valaika 2b |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
Roquemore lf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Carlson ss |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Macdonald ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Gump cf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Asato lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
DuPree dh |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
Totals |
28 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
Totals |
27 |
3 |
7 |
3 |
Hawaii |
|
|
|
000 |
100 |
000 |
-- |
1 |
3 |
0
|
UCSB |
|
|
|
200 |
100 |
00x |
-- |
3 |
7 |
0 |
DP-- Hawaii 1. LOB--Hawaii 1, UCSB 4. 2B--Lewis; Valaika. SF--Zuanich.
Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Harrington (L, 2-2) |
6 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2
|
Daly |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
|
UC Santa Barbara |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Morlock (W, 1-0) |
9 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
Umpires--Dwayne Finley (plate); Rick Wilson (first); Allen Williams (third).
T--2:13. A--614.