RAINBOW BASEBALL
Chicago State finally shows up
Hawaii has to sweat out a win to earn a sweep
Winless Chicago State has absorbed lots of pain from its opponents this season, but finally showed a little gain last night.
Next Up vs. Chicago State today
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After taking a 20-3 pounding from Hawaii in the first game of a doubleheader yesterday at Les Murakami Stadium, the Cougars rebounded to display some grit in a 3-2 loss in the nightcap.
It was the first time all season that CSU (0-10) came within a run of its opponent, and went errorless for an entire game (although Game 2 was only seven innings).
Hawaii (13-6) posted 20 runs for the second time in three games to begin the day, then went on to hit just 3-for-21 in game two.
Somehow, it was enough to scrape by.
"When you beat somebody, score 20 runs, we didn't come out with any respect for these guys second game," said UH coach Mike Trapasso, who was ejected in that game for vehemently arguing with umpires over a controversial call. "They took advantage of that and they played well. I really give credit to them, you get beat 20-3 and you come back and almost win the second game and make it a dogfight. That's a credit to (CSU coach) Vern (Hasty) and a credit to those guys. They fought through the whole thing."
Keeping to the same script as wins on Thursday and Friday, the Rainbow batters were consistently effective early to help build a 4-0 lead through four innings of game one, then went ablaze in the fifth and sixth.
UH scored 11 runs over those innings to turn a 4-1 game into a 15-1 rout, and its reserves added five runs to the onslaught late.
The 'Bows posted a .500 team batting average in that game en route to a season-high 25 hits, trumping the previous-high of 18 in Thursday's rout. UH got top-to-bottom contributions from its order: second baseman Jonathan Hee went 5-for-7 with four RBIs; left fielder Kevin Macdonald was 4-for-5; reserve right fielder Ryan Asato remained perfect at the plate in the series with a 3-for-3 performance with two doubles; first baseman Kris Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer -- his fifth of the year; and shortstop Eli Christensen and DH Justin Frash added three hits apiece.
"Just basically put the ball in play and good things will happen," said Hee, a junior. "That's kind of the story of the first game. I mean, things went our way. I found some holes."
Joshua Schneider gave up one run on seven hits over seven innings while striking out four to pick up the win (2-1). After southpaw Jeff Soskin gave up one run in the eighth, the somewhat bored 878 fans in attendance got something to cheer for.
UH was feeling comfortable enough that pitcher Harrison Kuroda made his collegiate debut. The sophomore right-hander closed out the ninth on one hit and one run scored to considerable cheers. Meanwhile, Kevin Fujii and Vinnie Catricala got their first starts at catcher and third base, respectively.
It might have been a little too much success for UH.
Mid-Pacific graduate Chris Goya helped the Cougars take a bite out of the 'Bows in the second inning of game two with a two-RBI triple to right, scoring teammates Kyle Kupiec and Ryne Malonzgo for the first lead the Cougars had in the series.
"We just refocused in the locker room and got back out (fresh)," said Goya, who finished a team-best 2-for-3 in the nightcap. "With our pitcher 'Cuba' (Robert Vargas) on the mound, everyone's pretty confident about what he's capable of doing. He showed it. Pitching was a big difference in the second game."
Rainbow starter Mark Rodrigues lasted just 4 1/3 innings, while the Cougar right-hander Vargas had easily the best outing of any CSU pitcher in the series. He went the full six innings and limited UH to just five hits, while throwing practically all fastballs.
"We didn't have that same fire," Hee said, nodding. "I can see how a team can get lackadaisical, but (I'm) just happy to get the win."
Vargas would allow two of UH's runs on wild pitches. Center fielder Brandon Haislet scored on one in the bottom of the second, and Justin Frash singled then reached home on a pop-up in foul territory from Macdonald in the third to knot things up.
Trapasso was decidedly unhappy about his team's play, and vented his frustrations in the top of the fifth. The coach went ballistic when Sanchez appeared to successfully stretch for a ball to get Jonathan Wilson for the last out of the inning, but home plate umpire Ozzie Ortiz reversed first base umpire Dan Farnsworth's call after both teams had cleared the field. Trapasso got in the face of all three umps for several moments, was ejected, then chucked his hat to the turf in disgust and begrudgingly left the field to applause.
"You make the call! You make the call and you stick to it," Trapasso said later. "I don't know if he was on or off the bag, but this isn't high school where you go runnin' to somebody else to change the call. It's just a bad situation in a very crucial time. It could have cost us the game."
UH was able to rectify the situation. Just seconds after the teams resumed play, UH relief pitcher Tyler Davis caught Wilson sleeping before throwing a single pitch, picking him off to keep the game tied at 2 and drawing a loud ovation.
In the bottom of the inning, Asato scored what would be the game-winning run on a wild pitch from Vargas that sailed over catcher Preston Pires head.
"We pretty much gave 'em the game," Vargas said. "Tip your cap to 'em, they beat us, but as far as I'm concerned we gave 'em the game. It's just a couple breaks here and there. I'm tired of moral victories."
The five-game series wraps up today at 1 p.m. UH will be going for the series sweep, while CSU wants to salvage some measure of pride before flying to Hilo to take on the UHH Vulcans.
Eighty-six-year-old Daniel Lau threw out the first pitch of the doubleheader. Lau is a charter member of the UH Letterwinners Club and Hall of Honor, and was a batting champion in 1941.
Hawaii 20, Chicago State 3
CSU |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
BI
|
Creal dh |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Christensen ss |
6 |
2 |
3 |
1
|
Packard cf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Hee 2b |
7 |
2 |
5 |
4
|
Morgan cf |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Frash dh |
4 |
0 |
3 |
2
|
Grow 3b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Ruff ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Loza phc |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Haislet cf |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1
|
Wilson rf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Roquemore phrf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Malonzo rf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Sanchez 1b |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2
|
Murphy 1b3b |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Franco phcf |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0
|
Kupiec c |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Macdonald lf1b |
5 |
5 |
4 |
1
|
Pires c1b |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Zimny rf |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1
|
Hall 2b |
4 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
Asato phlf |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1
|
Sanders ss |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Catricala 3b |
6 |
1 |
2 |
2
|
Goya lf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Fujii c |
5 |
3 |
2 |
2
|
Williams phlf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Totals |
35 |
3 |
8 |
1 |
Totals |
50 |
20 |
25 |
17 |
Chicago State |
|
000 |
010 |
011 |
-- |
3 |
8 |
4
|
Hawaii |
|
|
|
110 |
256 |
23x |
-- |
20 |
25 |
2 |
E--Grow 2; Sanders 2; Roquemore; Fujii. LOB--CSU 8, Hawaii 12. 2B--Asato 2; Hall; Frash; Sanchez. 3B--Macdonald. HR--Sanchez. SB--Morgan; Malonzo; Sanders; Zimny.
<
strong>Chicago State |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Wieda (L, 0-3) |
4 2/3 |
12 |
9 |
8 |
1 |
1
|
Barner |
1/3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
0
|
Storrs |
2 1/3 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
0
|
Lawrence |
2/3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Schneider (W, 2-1) |
7 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4
|
Soskin |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1
|
Kuroda |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
WP--Barner 2; Storrs; Lawrence; Soskin. HBP--by Wieda (Christensen); by Barner (Haislet); by Storrs (Ruff).
Umpires--Cary Izuka (plate); Ozzie Ortiz (first); Ryan Arasato (third).
T--2:54. A--878.
Hawaii 3, Chicago State 2
CSU |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
B
|
Packard cf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
DuPree dh |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Grow 1b |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Young ss |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Wilson dh |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Frash 3b |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
Kupiec 3b |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
Haislet cf |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
Malonzo rf |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Sanchez 1b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Hall ss |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Macdonald 2b |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1
|
Goya lf |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
Hee 2b |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Creal lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Hernandez c |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Pires c |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Asato rf |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0
|
Sanders 2b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Roquemore rf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Franco lf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Totals |
26 |
2 |
7 |
2 |
Totals |
21 |
3 |
5 |
1 |
Chicago State |
|
020 |
000 |
0 |
-- |
2 |
7 |
0
|
Hawaii |
|
|
|
010 |
110 |
x |
-- |
3 |
5 |
2 |
E--Frash; Franco. DP-- Hawaii 2. LOB--Chicago State 6; Hawaii 5. 2B--Hernandez. 3B--Goya. SH--Hall; DuPree. SF--Macdonald. SB--Haislet.
Chicago State |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Vargas (L, 0-3) |
6 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1
|
Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Rodrigues |
4 1/3 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1
|
Davis (W, 2-0) |
2 2/3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
WP--Vargas 2. HBP--by Rodrigues (Sanders); by Vargas (Haislet); by Rodrigues (Sanders).
Umpires--Ozzie Ortiz (plate); Dan Farnsworth (first); Ryan Arasato (third).
T--1:50. A--878.