Thursday, April 8, 1999

Solid pitching,
three homers power
’Bows to road win

Snider and Childers shine
on the mound as the UH baseball
team beats Air Force
yesterday

Staff and wire reports

PUEBLO, Colo. -- The Hawaii Rainbows found another way to win on the road yesterday when they matched the Air Force Falcons homer for homer and received steadier pitching en route to an 8-5 victory.

Hawaii starter Rich Snider pitched the first 7° innings, allowing the Falcons (16-19, 2-7 WAC) six hits while walking one and striking out four. Only one of the five runs charged to Snider was earned.

Wakon Childers closed for the second consecutive game, this time picking up his second save by getting an inning-ending double play in the eighth and retiring Air Force in order in the ninth.

The Western Athletic Conference victory was the second road win in two days for the 'Bows (25-13, 7-10) and moved them to within one game of sixth place in the standings.

Tracy Nakano, Corey Miller and Kenn Wakakuwa, who was 4-for-5, hit home runs for the 'Bows, with Miller's blast breaking a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning.

Hawaii scored two more runs in the stanza on Michael Dartt's fielder's choice grounder and a bases loaded walk to Scooter Martines.

Snider said he didn't really have much stuff when he warmed up before the game, but was able to pitch through it. He did have the split-finger fastball working, as nine Falcons grounded out.

"The curveball doesn't break as much at this altitude. You have to really work on keeping the ball down. Make a mistake and it goes out," Snider said.

"I don't think I was really tired (when I taken out), but my arm got a little stiff because we had a long top of the inning."

"He gave up a home run and beaned a guy. I figured that was enough," Rainbow head coach Les Murakami said. "Rich had pitched terrific. I just didn't want him to get a loss and I had Wakon."

Childers, who has battled the flu bug here, came in to strike out pinch hitter Jason Davis on a 1-2 pitch. Wakakuwa then alertly fired to first baseman Jamie Aloy to double off Mike Boomsma, who was hit by Snider's final pitch.

Wakakuwa, 8-for-59 (.136) in WAC play before yesterday, singled to right twice and once to center before easily clearing the left-field wall in the ninth with his first homer of the season.

"His biggest problem is fighting himself. He loses all focus and has been swinging at so many bad pitches," Murakami said. "Today he was patient and he hit strikes. He's too good a hitter to be hitting what he's hitting."

Sean Takamori's first-inning single increased his hitting streak to a team-high eight games.

NOTE: The Rainbows arrive home tomorrow on Delta Airlines flight 1579 at 5:04 p.m.

Hawaii 8, Air Force 5

Hawaii		AB	R	H	BI	Air Force	AB	R	H	BI
Takamori rf	4	0	1	0	Stolley lf	2	1	0	0
Dartt 2b	3	0	1	1	Thiessen ss	4	1	2	3
Aloy 1b		4	0	1	1	Carville 1b	4	1	1	1
Martines dh	4	0	0	1	Humphrey dh	4	1	2	1
Nakano lf	5	1	1	1	Boomsma rf	2	0	0	0
Honma lf	0	0	0	0	Hillberg cf	3	0	0	0
Nogawa 3b	4	1	1	0	Davis ph	1	0	0	0
Miller ss	4	2	2	1	Bashore 3b	0	0	0	0
Wakakuwa c	5	2	4	2	Jones 3b	3	0	0	0
Baker pr	0	1	0	0	Berg cf		1	0	0	0
Mitchell cf	5	2	2	0	Murphy c	4	1	0	0
						Shannon 2b	4	0	1	0
	Totals	38	8	13	7		Totals	32	5	6	5


Hawaii		001	300	031--8	13	1
Air Force	004	000	010--5	6	1

E--Miller (9), Shannon (15). DP--Hawaii 1 (Wakakuwa-Aloy), Air Force 1 (Thiessen-Shannon-Carville). LOB--Hawaii 11, Air Force 4.

2B--Thiessen (11). HR--Nakano (3), Miller (2), Wakakuwa (1); Thiessen (8), Carville (6), Humphrey (9). CS--Takamori. SH--Boomsma.

Hawaii			IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Snider (W 3-4)		7.1	6	5	1	1	4
Childers (Sv, 2)	1.2	0	0	0	0	2

Air Force		IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Fisher			3.1	7	4	4	3	2
Diehl (L,2-4)		4.1	5	3	3	3	1
Noegel			0.1	0	0	0	0	0
Cisar			1.0	1	1	1	0	1

WP--Fisher (7). HBP--Stolley and Boomsma (by Snider), Takamori (by Fisher), Miller (by Diehl).

Umpires--Loutensock (plate), Leonard (first), Schafer (third). A--45. T--2:34.

WAC

		Conference 			Overall
		W	L	Pct.	GB	W	L	Pct.	
Texas Christ	12	2	.857	--	21	14	.600
Rice		12	3	.786	1/2	32	8	.800
San Jose St.	7	5	.583	4	16	16	.500
Nevada-LV	7	5	.583	4	18	21	.462
Brigham Young	7	7	.500	5	18	17	.514
New Mexico	7	8	.467	5-1/2	19	19	.500
San Diego St.	5	7	.417	6	18	19	.486
Hawaii		7	10	.412	6-1/2	25	13	.658
Utah		3	7	.300	7	15	16	.484
Air Force	2	7	.22	7-1/2	16	19	.457
Fresno St.	2	10	.167	9	18	24	.429	

New Mexico & San Jose St. played one tie game.

Yesterday's results
Hawaii 8, Air Force 5
Baylor 7, Rice 2
Fresno State 4, Southern Utah 3
Texas Christian 10, Texas-Arlington 8 (11)

Today's games
Hawaii at Air Force, 7 a.m.
Brigham Young at Rice