Friday, May 21, 1999
’Bows stay alive
by beating Lobos
UH must win two games
By Al Chase
today to reach the WAC
Tournament final
Star-BulletinFRESNO, Calif. -- Dusty Bergman has been the most consistent starter on the Hawaii pitching staff the past month.
The 6-foot-4, junior left-hander demonstrated that again yesterday with a gritty performance against No. 6 seed New Mexico, defeating the Lobos for the second time in six days.
Bergman went seven innings last Saturday when the Rainbows clinched a berth in the Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament. Yesterday he battled for eight innings to extend the fifth-seeded 'Bows' stay here at least one more day.
Hawaii (37-19) turned a six-run fifth inning and a gift run in the seventh into a 7-6 victory that knocked New Mexico (29-30-1) out of the double-elimination tournament.
The Rainbows will have to win two games today to advance to tomorrow's championship game. Head coach Les Murakami will start one of two left-handers, Jamie Aloy or Randon Ho, in the first game against No. 2 seed Texas Christian (30-25). If necessary, both could see action because it makes no sense for Murakami to save anyone with UH in the loser's bracket.
Should the 'Bows win, they would play the loser of today's first game between Rice (50-11) and San Jose State (30-24-1), the remaining undefeated teams.
Yesterday, Bergman's only easy inning was the eighth. He was in varying degrees of trouble every other inning. At times he made the right pitch, and the defense bailed him out twice.
In the second, catcher Kenn Wakakuwa alertly turned a late throw from the outfield into an out when he caught Chris Armstrong rounding first base too far following an RBI single.
With a run in and the bases loaded in the fourth inning, Bergman got a visit from UH pitching coach Carl Furutani.
"Dusty was a little winded. I wanted to give him a chance to catch his breath and calm down," Furutani said.
"I was laboring, rushing things a bit," Bergman said. "I was thankful he (Furutani) came out. I was able to blow three fastballs past the next guy (UNM's No. 3 batter, Aaron Sisk). Not one was a strike, but he was swinging."
After the 'Bows wiped out the Lobos' 4-0 lead with a six-run bottom of the fifth, the Lobos loaded the bases on a throwing error by shortstop Corey Miller, a walk and a single with one out in the top of the sixth inning.
Once again, Furutani went to the mound.
"I wanted Dusty to know everything was under control. I wanted to get a sense from the infielders they knew it was gut check time and had to get it done," Furutani said. "I sensed they all felt that way when I left the mound."
Bergman responded by getting Lobo cleanup hitter Scott Candelaria to foul out to Aloy at first base on the first pitch. Miller then atoned for his error by making a diving catch on Cory Robbins' wicked liner about a foot off the ground in the hole to end the scoring threat.
"There were some big plays and some big hits, but you've got to give it to Dusty. He pitched his heart out," Murakami said.
The Rainbows only managed seven hits. Five were big, but just as big were the two they took -- Eddie Misquez pitches that plunked Tracy Nakano and Miller to give UH runners with one down in the sixth.
Lane Nogawa sent a soft liner to right for UH's first hit of the game, scoring Nakano. Derek Honma, hitting .150, followed with a first-pitch bloop single to center, scoring Miller.
Sean Takamori then tried to beat out a drag bunt but was credited with a sacrifice leaving runners at second and third and Michael Dartt, who had looked bad striking out twice, coming to the plate.
"The Lobos sure had a weird defense when Dartt (batting from the right side) came up. They moved their center fielder to the right and their left fielder to the left." said Murakami. "Dartt's ball sure stayed in the air a long time."
The senior second baseman lifted a 1-1 pitch into a high, lazy arc that seemed to take forever to hit grass between the onrushing UNM outfielders. Two more runs scored for a 4-4 tie.
Aloy then walked on a full count and Scooter Martines followed with a two-run double off the left-field wall.
"I haven't seen an inside fastball in a long time," said Martines, who normally receives a steady diet of outside breaking pitches. "He (Misquez) threw me two breaking pitches, then the fastball was coming at me and I was able to turn on it."
'BOW NOTES
Tracy Nakano's hitting streak was stopped at 20 games, second longest in UH history ... Hawaii's three sacrifice bunts yesterday pushed its season total to 62, breaking the old record of 60 (1984) for a season.
Rice 9, Nevada-Las Vegas 6
The No. 1 seeded Owls rallied with three runs in the eighth to tie and three more in the ninth to eliminate the fourth seeded Rebels (27-34). Will Ford doubled in the tie-breaking run.
San Jose State 14, Texas Christian 3
The No. 3 seeded Spartans hit four home runs and built a 13-0 lead before TCU scored. Jeremy Rogelstad pitched a complete game for SJSU. Batterymate Mike Wright hit two homers and drove in four runs.
HAWAII 7, NEW MEXICO 6
New Mexico AB R H BI Hawaii AB R H BI Armstrong dh 5 0 1 1 Takamori cf 3 1 1 0 Yamaguchi 2b 3 1 1 0 Dartt 2b 3 1 1 2 Sisk 3b 5 0 1 0 Aloy 1b 1 1 0 0 Candelaria ss 5 1 2 1 Martines dh 4 0 1 2 Robbins lf 5 1 1 0 Nakano lf 3 1 0 0 Dennis 1b 4 1 2 0 Baker lf 0 0 0 0 Kitamura pr 0 0 0 0 Wakakuwa c 4 0 2 0 Campbell rf 4 1 2 1 Miller ss 2 1 0 0 Elzy c 5 0 3 2 Nogawa 3b 4 1 1 1 Okano cf 5 1 2 0 Honma rf 4 1 1 1 Totals 41 6 15 5 28 7 7 6 New Mexico 110 110 002--6 15 1 Hawaii 000 060 10x--7 7 2E--Ortiz (3), Miller (16), Nogawa (9). DP--Hawaii 1 (Nogawa-Aloy. LOB--New Mexico 12, Hawaii 5.2B--Dennis (14), Campbell (21), Elzy (12), Okano (17), Martines (11), Wakakuwa (7). HR--Candelaria (7). SB--Yamaguchi (13). CS--Dennis. S--Takamori (10), Dartt (21), Miller (9).
New Mexico IP H R ER BB SO Misquez L, 7-8 6-1/3 6 7 6 2 6 Ortiz 1-2/3 1 0 0 1 1 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Bergman W, 4-4 8 12 5 4 2 6 Childers S, 6 1 3 1 1 0 0Bergman pitched to one batter in ninth.WP--Ortiz. (5). PB--Elzy (4), Wakakuwa (5). HBP--Dennis (by Bergman), Nakano (by Misquez), Miller (by Misquez), Campbell (by Childers).
Umpires: Burleson (Plate), Schafer (First), Pederson (Second), Ridd (Third). A--138. T--2:37.
