RAINBOW BASEBALL
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii catcher Landon Hernandez tagged out New Mexico State's Tyler Hardt at the plate during last night's WAC game at Les Murakami Stadium. Hawaii won 4-2.
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Alexander leads UH past NMSU
The junior allows one run in eight innings in the Rainbows' win
Hawaii couldn't continue its recent hitting surge at home, but with Jared Alexander on the mound, it didn't need too.
Alexander put forth another stellar outing at home by allowing one run over eight innings while striking out seven to lead the Rainbow baseball team to a 4-2 victory over New Mexico State last night in front of a Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 652.
Hawaii (14-20, 6-7 WAC) tied the Aggies (15-17, 4-5) for fourth place in the Western Athletic Conference and is three games behind conference-leading Sacramento State after taking the opener of the four-game series.
"We pitched and played good defense," Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. "We were able to scratch in runs and execute. That is how we have to play."
The Aggies entered the week fourth in the country in runs per game, but were silenced by the pitching of Alexander, who continues to be nearly perfect at Les Murakami Stadium. Alexander got his fourth win, all coming at home, where he is 4-1 in five starts and has allowed just three earned runs in 38 2/3 innings.
"I changed a couple of things in my mechanics and it helped out a lot," Alexander said. "I knew if I made my pitches, I would do well tonight."
The Rainbows' top three hitters in the order have been crucial to the team's turnaround over the last two weeks, but combined to go hitless in 11 at-bats.
Senior Derek DuPree went 0-for-3 to snap a 10-game hitting streak that is now held by Jeff Van Doornum, who singled in the sixth and scored a run.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Joseph Scaperotta of New Mexico State gestured toward the sky after hitting a home run in last night's loss to Hawaii.
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Brandon Haislet scored two runs and Greg Garcia was the only Rainbows hitter with two hits. Aggies starter Oliver Webster gave up three earned runs in 7 1/3 innings as a late replacement for Tyler Sturdevant.
"They make a change right after (batting practice) that we weren't expecting and he came in and threw strikes," Trapasso said. "He threw his off-speed stuff for strikes and we struggled with him for most of the game."
Junior Jayson Kramer replaced Alexander and gave up two hits and a run in the ninth, but got pinch hitter Colin Crouthamel to ground into a fielder's choice to earn his fourth save of the season.
The Rainbows took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a one-out single by Vinnie Catricala to bring in Van Doornum, who reached on a fielder's choice.
The Aggies tied it in the next half-inning when Joseph Scaperotta took a 1-1 pitch from Alexander deep over the fence in right field for his league-leading 12th home run.
Garcia helped the Rainbows retake the lead with an infield single in the fourth to score Haislet. After leading off with a walk, Haislet advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Catricala. Garcia then hit a ground ball up the middle with two outs that shortstop Richard Stout made a diving stop on, but couldn't control in time to get the runner out.
"When we'd get our leadoff runner on, we executed and got guys over and only needed that one hit to score a run," Haislet said. "We were very productive hitters today."
The score remained 2-1 into the sixth when Marcus Quade sent a two-out hit into the gap in left-center. Tyler Hardt, who was on first with a single, tried to score on the play, but was thrown out on a relay throw home from Jon Hee.
The Rainbows tacked on runs in the seventh and eighth innings on an RBI single by pinch hitter Alex Myers and a sacrifice fly by Catricala to score Haislet.
"It was big for us to get that fourth run and get some cushion for Kramer," Trapasso said.
The four-game series resumes tonight at 6:35 p.m. Nick Rhodes will start for the Rainbows in search of his second win.
WAC standings
|
W |
L |
PCT. |
|
GB |
W-L
|
Sacramento State |
8 |
3 |
.727 |
|
-- |
13-15
|
Nevada |
8 |
4 |
.667 |
|
1/2 |
17-14
|
Fresno State |
5 |
3 |
.625 |
|
1 1/2 |
16-15
|
Hawaii |
6 |
7 |
.462 |
|
3 |
14-20
|
New Mexico State |
4 |
5 |
.444 |
|
3 |
15-17
|
San Jose State |
6 |
9 |
.400 |
|
4 |
15-14
|
Louisiana Tech |
2 |
8 |
.200 |
|
5 1/2 |
15-14 |
Wednesday
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 8, Fresno State 5
New Mexico State 6, Hawaii Pacific 5, 10 innings
Yesterday
Hawaii 4, New Mexico State 2
Today
New Mexico State at Hawaii, 6:35 p.m., Les Murakami Stadium
Louisiana Tech at Fresno State
San Jose State at Sacramento State
Utah Valley at Nevada
Tomorrow
New Mexico State at Hawaii (2), 1:05 p.m.
Louisiana Tech at Fresno State (2)
San Jose State at Sacramento State (2)
Utah Valley at Nevada (2)
Hawaii 4, New Mexico State 2
NMSU |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
BI
|
Stout ss |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Montplaisir lf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Scaperotta lf |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Myers ph |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1
|
Auten 1b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Roquemore pr/lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Busani rf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
DuPree dh |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Hardt dh |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
Hee ss |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Leghorn c |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Haislet cf |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0
|
Quade 3b |
4 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Van Doornum rf |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0
|
Marquez 2b |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Macdonald 1b |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0
|
Aguirre ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Catricala 3b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2
|
Lucero cf |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Garcia 2b |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1
|
Crouthamel ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Hernandez c |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0
|
Totals |
33 |
2 |
8 |
2 |
Totals |
29 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
NMSU |
001 |
000 |
001 |
-- |
2 |
8 |
1
|
Hawaii |
010 |
100 |
11x |
-- |
4 |
7 |
0 |
E--Quade. LOB--NMSU 7; Hawaii 8. 2B--Auten; Quade. HR--Scaperotta. HBP--Leghorn; DuPree. SH--Hardt; Hernandez. SF--Catricala. CS--Roquemore.
NMSU |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Webster (L, 1-3) |
7 1/2 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1
|
Duran |
2/3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1
|
Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO
|
Alexander (W 4-3) |
8 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1
|
Kramer (S, 4) |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
WP--Duran. HBP--by Alexander (Leghorn); by Webster (DuPree).
Umpires--John Bullock (Plate); Chuck Lyon (First); Dick Flaherty (Third).
T--2:32. A--652.