Rainbows drop doubleheader
By Mark Brown
Special to the Star-Bulletin
SURPRISE, Ariz. » Youth was not served yesterday, as the Hawaii baseball team lost to Michigan in the first game and Portland in the second in the Surprise College Baseball tournament.
With 12 freshmen and five sophomores on the roster, Hawaii's lack of experience was evident yesterday against the eighth-ranked Wolverines on Nolan Ryan Field at the Texas Rangers' spring-training complex.
In dropping an 11-5 decision to Michigan and then getting turned back 15-9 by Portland, the Rainbows (5-6) served notice that this season may be more for education and development than aspiring to a trip to the College World Series.
Freshman right-hander Alex Capaul struggled from the start vs. the Wolverines, and eventually was knocked out in the fourth inning.
Along the way, the Rainbows' lack of execution at crucial times proved significant, and clearly caught the attention of their coach.
"This is a very young team and there will be peaks and valleys," UH head coach Mike Trapasso said. "Alex did not have command and did not make the pitches."
Two situations against Michigan reflected the need to heighten concentration and execution.
With two outs and the score tied at two in the fourth, Wolverines second baseman Keif Mahler hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Vinnie Catricala, who could not handle to ball.
That error was followed by a single, a walk and a run-producing single from Wolverines third baseman Adam Abraham that gave Michigan the lead for good at 3-2.
Later, Capaul was involved in another lack of fundamental execution in the seventh.
Capaul had runners on first and second with one out, then added to the problem by walking No. 9 hitter Ryan LaMarre. Jason Christian broke open the game with a bases-loaded triple.
The Rainbows rallied with three late runs, including Greg Garcia's homer that opened the bottom of the ninth.
"Right now, we're learning to fail, but going forward, we'll learn from this experience," said Trapasso, who was tossed out of the game against Portland for arguing a call in the fifth inning.
"Because we're so young, we realize this is a learning process. I know we'll grow and get better with time."
One Rainbow who certainly grew a little was Garcia. He entered the game with the Wolverines with only one hit on the year, but exited with a bunt single in the fifth, a sharp single in the seventh and a solo homer in the ninth over the right-field fence.
The second game was held at George Brett Field at the Kansas City Royals' spring training site.
Brandon Haiset and Catricala homered, and Catricala went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Second baseman Jonathan Hee chipped in with a 4-for-5 game and scored a run.
The Pilots took a 6-0 lead when scoring in each of the first three innings, then used a six-run fifth to roll out to a 12-0 margin.
The Rainbows didn't get going until the bottom of the sixth when scoring three runs, highlighted by Haislet's two-run homer.
Hawaii returns home to host No. 10 Long Beach State for a three-game series, Friday through Sunday, at Les Murakami Stadium.
Michigan 11, Hawaii 5
UM AB R H BI Hawaii AB R H BI
Christian ss 4 1 1 3 Hee 2b 5 1 2 0
Mahler 2b 4 2 1 1 Roquemore rf 5 2 2 0
Recknagel c 5 2 4 2 Haislet cf 5 1 1 0
Putnam dh 2 1 0 0 Catricala 3b 2 0 0 1
Oaks dh 1 0 0 0 Hoey ph/3b 1 0 0 0
Abraham 3b 5 1 3 1 Van Doornum dh 3 0 0 0
VanBuskirk lf 5 2 3 3 Zimny dh 1 0 1 1
Cislo cf 5 0 0 0 4 0 0 0
Dutek 1b 4 1 3 1 Hernandez c 3 0 1 0
LaMarre rf 4 1 0 0 Fujii ph/c 1 0 1 1 Montplasir lf 4 0 1 0
Garcia ss 4 1 3 1
Totals 39 11 15 11 38 5 12 4
Michigan 201 400 400 -- 11 15 1
Hawaii 200 000 021 -- 5 12 1
E-- Christian;Catricala. DP--Michigan 1, Hawaii 1. LOB--Michigan 7, Hawaii 7. 2B--Recknagel; VanBuskirk 2; Dutek 2; Garcia. 3B--Christian. HR--Recknagel; Garcia. SH--Mahler. SF--Catricala. CS--Abraham.
Michigan IP H R ER BB SO
Fetter (W 1-0) 6 2/3 7 2 1 0 3
Burgoon 2 1/3 5 3 3 0 1
Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO
Capaul (L 0-3) 3 1/3 7 7 6 2 3
Kuroda 3 1/3 6 4 4 1 2
Spangler 2 1/3 2 0 0 2 1
T--2:40. A--175.
Portland 15, Hawaii 8
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Portland |
AB |
R |
H |
BI
|
Hee 2b |
5 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
Henricks 2b |
6 |
4 |
4 |
5
|
Roquemore rf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Krause cf |
5 |
2 |
1 |
0
|
Zimny ph |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Kraus lf |
5 |
2 |
3 |
4
|
Haislet cf |
4 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
Thompson ph/lf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Catricala 1b |
5 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Haskin dh |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1
|
Van Doornum dh |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Jones ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hernandez c |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Wilthshire lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Fujii c |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
Powell 1b |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2
|
Montplaisir lf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Carpenter ph/1b |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Hoey 3b |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Meier rf |
5 |
2 |
2 |
0
|
Garcia ss |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Armijo 3b |
4 |
2 |
3 |
1
|
Young ss |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Gale c |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arbayo ph |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brown c |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cullen ss |
5 |
2 |
2 |
2
|
Totals |
39 |
8 |
12 |
8 |
Totals |
45 |
15 |
21 |
15 |
Hawaii |
|
000 |
003 |
014 |
-- |
8 |
12 |
1
|
Portland |
|
231 |
062 |
10X |
-- |
15 |
21 |
2 |
E--Garcia; Henricks; Cullen. DP--Portland 1. LOB--Hawaii 8; Portland 9. 2B--Hee; Van Doornum; Henricks, 2; Kraus; Powell; Meir, 2; Armijo; Cullen. HR--Haislet; Catricala; Henricks. HBP--Zimny; Hernandez; Krause; Armijo. SH--Haskin. SF--Montplasir. SB--Kraus.
Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Slaats (L 0-1) |
1 2/3 |
8 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
2
|
Schneider |
2 2/3 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
2
|
Wheeler |
1 2/3 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
1
|
Kahn |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
Portland |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Thorpe (W 1-0) |
5 1/3 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
2
|
Wakefield |
1 2/3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3
|
Renda |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0
|
Beringhaus |
1/3 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
Thompson |
2/3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
HBP-- by Schneider (Armijo); by Thorpe (Hernandez); by Wheeler (Krause); by Beringhaus (Zimny).
Umpires-- John Bullock(plate); Steve Mattingly (first).
T--2:54 A--85.