FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Josh Schneider threw six shutout innings and picked up his secod win as Hawaii beat UAB for the second straight night.
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Schneider helps Rainbows hold UAB in check
STORY SUMMARY »
Hawaii will take some momentum with it on its upcoming road trip thanks to back-to-back strong pitching performances.
Josh Schneider gave Hawaii its second solid start in a row by tossing six shutout innings as Hawaii beat Alabama-Birmingham 3-1 last night at Les Murakami Stadium.
NEXT UP
at UC Irvine tomorrow
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Sean Montplaisir and Vinnie Catricala each had RBI singles as part of a three-run fifth inning and that was all the offense Hawaii needed.
The Blazers pulled to within two in the eighth on an RBI double by Ryan Keedy. Austin Taylor came close to tying the score on one swing off of Cory Kahn, sending a ball deep to the warning track in right field that was caught by Evan Zimny to end the inning.
Senior Cameron Wheeler struck out Jonathan Merritt with two outs in the ninth to earn the first save of his career.
The Rainbows were scheduled to board a plane for Los Angeles this morning to play a three-game series at No. 13 UC Irvine beginning tomorrow at 3 p.m.
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FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
UH shortstop Greg Garcia forced UAB's Phil Bell at second, then threw to first to complete a fourth-inning double play.
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After getting swept by No. 9 Long Beach State last weekend, Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso pleaded for someone to step up and pitch with some toughness.
He might have found his answer in senior Josh Schneider.
Schneider tossed six shutout innings in his first start of the season and the Rainbows won their second game in a row with a 3-1 victory over Alabama-Birmingham last night in front of a Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 768.
Cameron Wheeler allowed a hit and a walk in the ninth, but still managed to record the first save of his career. Schneider improved to 2-0 after allowing just three hits and striking out five while walking three.
"I just wanted to go out there and post some zeroes and give the team a chance to win," Schneider said. "I was able to throw my fastball today and throw my change-up to keep hitters off balance."
Hawaii (7-9) took both games from the Blazers (6-9) behind dominant starting pitching. Schneider and Josh Slaats, who started Tuesday night's win, combined to allow one run over 12 innings. Both efforts were exactly what Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso was looking for.
"I thought the starting pitching in particular was pretty good these two games," Trapasso said. "Schneider was as good as we could ask of him for his first start. He looked relaxed out there for the first time. He was confident and composed."
Schneider was Hawaii's third starter for most of last season, but had been used out of the bullpen in all five previous appearances this year. Trapasso thought his newfound composure might have had to do with getting his first start.
"It's probably a better fit for him to start his own game and control his own tempo," Trapasso said. "When he comes out of the bullpen he tends to overthrow and he's not a guy that can pitch that way."
All Hawaii could muster off of UAB starter Mitch Kloskowski in the first four innings was an infield single by Vinnie Catricala. Hawaii didn't hit the ball out of the infield until Kevin Fujii opened the fifth with a single to left.
It was the second night in a row Hawaii's offense got off to a very slow start, but this time, it was more a credit to Kloskowski's ability than Hawaii's lack of effort.
"I thought (Tuesday) night against a pitcher that was nowhere near the caliber of (Kloskowski), we cashed it in and gave up a lot of at-bats," Trapasso said. " (Last night) we had a lot of bad swings, but it was more a credit to their guy. He was really good."
Fujii's hit paved the way for the Rainbows to take the lead. A one-out hit by Jon Hee and a passed ball put runners at second and third for Sean Montplaisir, who squirted a ball through the hole between first and second for a hit that brought home Fujii.
After Brandon Haislet struck out for the third time in a row, Hee gave the Rainbows a two-run lead by scoring on a wild pitch. Vinnie Catricala followed that with a rope into left field for a single that scored Montplaisir to make it 3-0.
Kloskowski suffered his first defeat of the season after lasting 6 1/3 innings. He allowed five hits in addition to the three runs while striking out five.
"No matter how we do it, we beat a kid that is an above-average Division I pitcher," Trapasso said. "We definitely got better tonight. There's no doubt about it."
Catricala finished 2-for-4 for the Rainbows, who will play the first of a three-game series at No. 13 UC Irvine tomorrow. Junior Jared Alexander (2-1, 0.96 ERA) will get the start.
Hawaii 3, UAB 1
UAB |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
BI
|
Merritt ss |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Hee 2b |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
Hardy rf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Montplaisir lf |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1
|
Bell lf |
4 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
Haislet cf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Keedy 1b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Catricala 3b |
4 |
0 |
2 |
1
|
Taylor cf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Myers dh |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Stewart 3b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Macdonald 1b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Towe dh |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Zimny rf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Manning c |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Roquemore rf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Crawford 2b |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Fujii c |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
3McMurry ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Garcia ss |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Totals |
32 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
Totals |
31 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
UAB |
000 |
000 |
010 |
-- |
1 |
6 |
1
|
Hawaii |
000 |
030 |
00x |
-- |
3 |
6 |
0 |
E--Stewart 2. DP--Hawaii 1. LOB--UAB 9; Hawaii 7. 2B--Keedy. HBP--Manning. SH--Montplaisir. SB--Bell, Montplaisir, Garcia.
UAB |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Kloskowski L (2-1) |
6 1/3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
5
|
Lichtner |
1 2/3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Schneider W (2-0) |
6 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
5
|
Kahn |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0
|
Wheeler S (1) |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
HBP--by Schneider (Manning).
Umpires--Pat Riley (Plate); Jeff Peterson (First); Joe Burleson (Third).
T--2:47. A--768.