Saturday, May 15, 1999
’Bows step closer
to postseason
After last night's 7-4 victory over
By Al Chase
New Mexico, UH is just a win away
from earning a spot in the
WAC baseball playoffs
Star-BulletinThe University of Hawaii took another step toward earning a berth in the Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament last night.
The Rainbows' demeanor after the 7-4 victory over the New Mexico Lobos was as business-like then as it was during the four-run, seventh-inning rally that produced the win. There was no postgame celebration. It was not the time.
The Lobos (29-27-1 overall, 14-14 WAC) are a formidable opponent and they want to spend next week in Fresno, Calif., just as much as the Rainbows (35-18, 14-14). UH moved into fifth place in the standings, but all that matters is recording one more victory.
Hawaii's hitters did little against UNM starter Eddie Misquez for five innings and the Lobo batters smashed balls, showing why they are hitting .351 as a team. Not until UH closer Wakon Childers struck out the side in the ninth, could the 2,488 fans at Rainbow Stadium relax.
Misquez, a 6-foot, 200-pound senior left-hander, wasn't overpowering. However, his location was excellent and the 'Bow hitters weren't making solid contact -- until the sixth inning.
That's when Jamie Aloy ripped a double off the glove of a diving Dee Dennis at first base and scored on Scooter Martines' double into the left-field corner.
UH head coach Les Murakami flashed the sacrifice bunt sign to Tracy Nakano, but he took a fastball on the outside corner for a strike. After a curve was low, Nakano got another curve that was up and lined it into center to drive home Aloy and tie the score at 3-3.
"I was trying to hit the ball hard, get the barrel (of the bat) on the ball," Nakano said. "You try to sit back, let the ball get deep in the (strike) zone and hammer it."
Corey Miller started the game-winning rally in the seventh with a one-out double to left. Sean Takamori followed with a single to right that scored Miller.
"Coach (Murakami) said if the third baseman was deep, go with the fast bunt," Takamori said. "But I got ahead in the count (2-0) and got a fastball on the outside I could drive to right."
Takamori took second on Michael Dartt's groundout. After Aloy walked on four pitches, the runners pulled a double steal. That led to Martines receiving an intentional walk. Nakano foiled the strategy with a solid, two-run single to center field that ended Misquez's night.
"I think possibly this heat pooped him (Misquez) out a bit. I should have seen that. He started getting his ball up, made a couple of mistakes and they took advantage of it," UNM head coach Rich Alday said.
"I thought we hit the ball hard. We're going to keep doing the things we've been doing all year and hopefully those things will turn into line drives or find the gaps a little bit more."
The Lobos had three doubles, two of which landed beyond UH's outfielders, and had several more long fly balls that would have left a lot of ball parks.
The first pitch UH starter Rich Snider threw was lined to center by Chris Armstrong. His eighth pitch was a one-hop, run-scoring double off the center-field wall by Aaron Sisk. Scott Candelaria lined Snider's 10th pitch to left for a quick 2-0 Lobo lead.
"Rich takes awhile, sometimes two or three innings, to get into his zone. Early on his pitches are usually up," said UH catcher Kenn Wakakuwa. "But he's mentally tough. He didn't have great stuff tonight, but he learns the batters and goes out and battles."
After giving up a leadoff single in the fourth, Snider retired 12 consecutive Lobos. He tried to stay loose in the bullpen during the long UH seventh. But Lon Yamaguchi's single and a walk on four pitches to Sisk to start the eighth inning was enough for Murakami.
Ian Jones came in to get two outs, but Dennis' RBI double meant it was time for Childers, who earned his fifth save of the season.
"When I come in, Waks (Wakakuwa) is calling my game. I trust him to tell me what to throw," Childers said. "He's sitting there the entire game and I know he has an idea. We've been on the same page at least since midway through the season. He's the guy doing the job. I'm just throwing the pitches."
Childers, who wastes no time on the mound, needed 16 pitches to fan the side in the ninth.
"They (Lobos) hit cannons and we hit pistols. We're not a power hitting team and not a great hitting team, but our kids can hit. They find a way," said Murakami. "Our kids have played so many games already that they don't panic."
WAC
Conference Overall Team W L Pct. GB W L Pct. xy-Rice 23 5 .821 -- 46 11 .807 x-Texas Christ 19 10 .655 4-1/2 29 24 .547 x-San Jose St. 15 11 .577 7 27 24 .529 Nevada-LV 15 13 .536 8 26 31 .456 Hawaii 14 14 .500 9 35 18 .660 New Mexico 14 14 .500 9 29 27 .518 San Diego St. 14 15 .483 9-1/2 27 31 .466 Fresno St. 13 15 .464 10 32 29 .525 Brigham Young 11 17 .393 12 25 31 .446 Utah 8 19 .296 14-1/2 22 29 .431 Air Force 5 18 .217 15-1/2 19 30 .388x-Qualified for WAC tournament.y-Clinched regular-season title.
New Mexico & San Jose St. played one tie game.
Yesterday's results
Hawaii 7, New Mexico 4
Air Force 10, Rice 5
Nevada-Las Vegas 8, Fresno State 1
San Jose State 8, San Diego State 3
Brigham Young 16, Utah 7Today's games
New Mexico at Hawaii, 7 p.m.
Nevada-Las Vegas at Fresno State
Rice at Air Force
San Diego State at San Jose State
Utah at Brigham YoungTomorrow's games
New Mexico at Hawaii, 7 p.m.
Nevada-Las Vegas at Fresno State
Rice at Air ForceEnd regular season
Hawaii 7, New Mexico 4
New Mexico AB R H BI Hawaii AB R H BI Armstrong c 5 1 2 1 Takamori rf-cf 5 1 2 1 Yamaguchi 2b 4 1 1 0 Dartt 2b 5 1 1 0 Sisk 3b 3 1 2 1 Aloy 1b 3 2 2 0 Candelaria ss 4 0 1 1 Martines dh 3 2 2 2 Robbins lf 3 0 0 0 Nakano lf 4 0 2 3 Dennis 1b 4 0 1 1 Baker lf 0 0 0 0 Campbell rf 4 0 1 0 Wakakuwa c 4 0 1 1 Little dh 4 0 0 0 Nogawa 3b 4 0 0 0 Okano cf 3 1 0 0 Miller ss 3 1 1 0 Mitchell cf 2 0 0 0 Honma ph-rf 2 0 0 0 Totals 34 4 8 4 35 7 11 7 New Mexico 210 000 010--4 8 2 Hawaii 100 002 40x--7 11 0E--Sisk (12), Campbell (7). DP--Hawaii 1 (Takamori-Aloy), New Mexico 1 (Yamaguchi-Candelaria-Dennis). LOB--Hawaii 7, New Mexico 6.2B--Armstrong (15), Sisk (22), Dennis (13), Aloy (17), Martines (10), Miller (5). SB--Armstrong (4), Campbell 2 (21), Takamori (33), Aloy (4)
New Mexico IP H R ER BB SO Misquez (L, 7-7) 6.2 11 7 7 2 4 Reardon 1.1 0 0 0 1 1 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Snider (W, 6-5) 7 7 4 4 3 5 Jones 0.2 1 0 0 0 1 Childers (Sv, 5) 1.1 0 0 0 0 3Umpires: Burleson (Plate), Tomaszewski (First), Gonzales (Third). A--2,488. T--3:04.
