Monday, March 1, 1999
UH falls
again to TCU
The Horned Frogs sweep
Star-Bulletin staff
the Rainbows to start the
WAC baseball seasonFORT WORTH, Texas -- It was business as usual for the Hawaii baseball team in yesterday's early innings against Texas Christian. Troy Yoshimasu was on the mound, it was the third game of the series and the Rainbows led, 6-1, after six innings.
But the good fortune Yoshimasu enjoys at Rainbow Stadium did not carry over to the TCU Diamond. For the second consecutive game, the UH hitters failed to produce in key situations, especially late in yesterday's game and the bullpen faltered.
Yoshimasu left after 5-2/3 innings when he hit consecutive batters to load the bases.
The Horned Frogs tagged four UH relievers for 12 hits and seven of their last eight runs to complete a sweep of the three-game Western Athletic Conference series with an 8-7, 11-inning victory.
The Rainbows (13-5 overall, 0-3 WAC), ranked No. 14 by Collegiate Baseball last Monday, likely will exit the Top 25 list and find themselves in an all too familiar place in the WAC standings -- last (tied with the Fresno State Bulldogs, who were swept by Rice).
Hawaii left 28 runners on base in the three games. Seven were stranded yesterday after the 'Bows built the early lead, three in scoring position and it haunted them when TCU rallied.
The three, four and five spots in the lineup were a collective 11-for-42 and drove in just three runs in three games. Yesterday, those three hitters were 6-for-17, but only 2-for-9 after Stan Newton took over for TCU starter Chris Frazier in the sixth inning.
The Horned Frogs caught the 'Bows in the bottom of the ninth. David Wallace doubled to left on a ball Scooter Martines appeared to lose in the sun to open the inning. Wallace went to third on a fly ball to right and scored the tying run on Shaun Wooley's infield single.
Newton, who fanned nine, retired 10 consecutive 'Bows before Jamie Aloy broke the string with a leadoff double to left-center field in the 11th inning. One out later, designated hitter Tracy Nakano picked up his fourth RBI of the game when he singled Aloy home.
However, Brad Rogers punched a 1-2 pitch from Rich Snider into right field to lead off the bottom of the inning. Snider then hit Levi Groomer with an inside pitch on a two-strike count.
Jimmy Mousoudakis sacrificed the runners to second and third and they scored on Erick Macha's single to left.
In the series, Nakano was 5-for-10 with two walks and 6 RBIs. Michael Dartt was 5-for-11 with three walks, but despite being on base eight times, only scored one run.
The Rainbows, who had struck out 88 times in 15 games entering the series, whiffed 38 times.
Hawaii never got its running game going either, getting caught on all four stolen base attempts.
UH third baseman Matt Wheeler, still bothered by a sprained left ankle and a falling batting average, did not play yesterday. Kenn Wakakuwa moved to third base. He and Aloy played a different position in each game.
Hawaii will try to get on track in the WAC Thursday in the opener of a three-game series with Brigham Young.
Horned Frogs 8, Rainbows 7
Hawaii Texas Christian ab r h bi ab r h bi Takamori rf 4 0 1 1 Macha cf 6 0 3 4 Dartt 2b 6 0 2 0 Ma.Hmltn 1b-p 5 1 1 0 Wakakuwa 3b 6 2 1 0 Huffman 3b 5 1 3 1 Aloy 1b 5 3 2 0 Wallace rf 5 1 2 0 Martines lf 6 2 3 1 McLamore lf 4 0 2 0 Nakano dh 4 0 2 4 Wooley dh 4 0 1 1 Hansen c 6 0 2 0 White 1b 0 0 0 0 Miller ss 6 0 0 0 Silva c 4 0 1 0 Baker cf 4 0 0 0 Rogers ph-c 2 0 1 1 Groomer 2b 5 3 3 0 Mi.Hamilton ss 4 1 2 0 Bates ph 1 0 0 0 Mousoudakis ss 0 0 0 0 Totals 47 7 13 6 Totals 45 8 19 611 innings
Hawaii 023 100 000 01--7 Texas Christian 000 100 221 02--8One out when winning run scored.E--Wakakuwa (3), Aloy (3), Ma. Hamilton (1), McLamore 2 (2), Mi. Hamilton 2 (3). DP--UH 2 (Miller-Dartt-Aloy 2). LOB--UH 13, TCU 16.
2B--Aloy (5), Nakano (4), Macha (1), Ma. Hamilton (3), Wallace (8). 3B--Groomer (4). SB--Wallace (3), Mi. Hamilton (1). S--Macha (2), Mousoudakis (2). SF--Nakano (1).
IP H R ER BB SO Yoshimasu 5-2/3 7 1 1 1 2 Jones 2/3 2 2 2 0 1 Garrick 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 Bergman 2/3 2 2 2 0 0 Snider (L, 1-1) 2-2/3 7 3 3 3 1 Frazier 5 8 6 2 3 5 Newton 5-2/3 5 1 1 0 9 Ma. Hamilton (W, 2-2) 1/3 0 0 0 0 0WP--Garrick (2), Frazier (3). HBP--Aloy (by Frazier), Nakano (by Newton), McLamore, Wooley (by Yoshimasu), Wallace (by Garrick), Groomer (by Snider).Umpires--Casterona (plate), Martin (first), Nagy (third).
T--3:49. A--501.
WAC
Conference Overall W L Pct. GB W L Pct. Rice 3 0 1.000 -- 16 3 .842 Texas Christian 3 0 1.000 -- 8 7 .533 Brigham Young 2 1 .667 1 7 10 .412 Utah 0 0 .000 1-1/2 10 7 .588 Air Force 0 0 .000 1-1/2 9 9 .500 San Jose St. 0 0 .000 1-1/2 7 8 .467 San Diego St. 0 0 .000 1-1/2 7 8 .467 Nevada-LV 0 0 .000 1-1/2 5 11 .313 New Mexico 1 2 .333 2 7 10 .412 Hawaii 0 3 .000 3 13 5 .722 Fresno St. 0 3 .000 3 7 11 .389
Texas Christian 8, Hawaii 7 (11)
Air Force 7, Connecticut 6
Nevada-Las Vegas 11, Nevada-Reno 5
Rice 8, Fresno State 2
San Francisco 14, Utah 11
Washington State 1, San Jose State 0
