Rodrigues gives Rainbows a pick-me-up

The Kauai lefty goes the distance as Hawaii gets its first road win

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. » Hawaii pitcher Mark Rodrigues had an idea yesterday might be special. But he didn't expect his fourth start of the season to last nine innings.

"I felt good from when I woke up," said Rodrigues, who pitched a three-hitter, leading UH to a 5-1 victory over UC Santa Barbara at the Gauchos' Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. "I didn't think I would last that long, but I felt pretty good."

Rodrigues (4-0) turned in the Rainbows' first complete game of the season, throwing 87 pitches. The senior left-hander from Kauai struck out four and walked none. It was his first CG for UH and his first since coming back from elbow surgery three years ago.

"I was definitely hitting my spots," Rodrigues said. "Coach Trap (Mike Trapasso) came out in the second inning and told me my mechanics were kind of too slow, my arm wasn't getting action. After that, I was throwing as hard as I could, right to the glove."

The Rainbows improved to 8-3 with their first road win of the season and sixth in seven games. The Gauchos fell to 2-2.

The teams complete their three-game series today (10 a.m. Hawaii time) with UH right-hander Josh Schneider on the mound against UCSB righty Mike Ford. Neither pitcher has a win-loss record and neither has allowed an earned run this season.

Rodrigues lowered his ERA to 1.46. The only runner he allowed past first was Mike Zuanich, who hit a homer in the fifth to give UCSB a 1-0 lead.

"It was a good pitch, a fastball in on the knees," Rodrigues said. "He got good contact."

Rodrigues faced just one batter over the minimum and retired the last eight of the game in pitching UH's first complete game since Ian Harrington beat Wright State 5-3 in the NCAA Regionals last June.

The last Gaucho to reach was Robbie Blauer, who singled in the sixth. But he was erased on a double play. Zuanich also singled in the second, but was caught stealing.

"Rodrigues was outstanding. He was adding and subtracting on his fastball very well. Attacked us all day and was very competitive. The shoe on the other foot today," said Gauchos coach Bob Brontsema, referring to UCSB's three-hitter by Steve Morlock on Friday.

It took a while, but the Hawaii bats came alive in support of Rodrigues.

Kris Sanchez hit a two-run triple in the sixth to end a 10-inning scoreless streak for UH.

The Hawaii bats produced 10 hits yesterday, including eight in the last four innings. Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit, with Brandon Haislet and Eli Christensen getting two apiece.

"(Sanchez's triple) got us off the schneid and our kids relaxed after that," Trapasso said.

Sanchez extended his hitting streak to all 11 games this year, and 15 going back to last season. His two-out shot down the first-base line on a 2-2 inside changeup scored Jorge Franco from third and Justin Frash from first.

Brontsema argued that the ball might have been foul.

"I thought it was questionable. I wasn't convinced (first-base umpire Allen Williams) saw it, it was hit so hard," the coach said.

Franco had started the inning with a walk, and advanced to second when Jon Hee reached on a throwing error by third baseman Patrick Rose.

Kyle Brown then replaced starter Jeff Braun, and Frash grounded to short, with Hee forced at second. One out later, Sanchez upped his RBI season total to 22. Christensen followed Sanchez's triple with a single to center, making Hawaii's lead 3-1.

UH expanded the lead to 4-1 when the 'Bows loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. Frash, who led off with a single, scored on Bryan Fleming's wild pitch.

Haislet, who went 2-for-4 after missing Friday's game with a lower back injury, singled to score Franco for another run in the ninth.