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Friday, January 21, 2000

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Going in opposite directions, Hawaii's Danny Kimura reaches second
base on a double in the eighth inning as Florida's Tim Olson stretches
for the late throw. Kimura, a transfer from Nebraska, had three doubles
to tie a UH single-game record. He drove in three runs.

Last week Hawaii head baseball coach Les Murakami said his pitching was a very, very big question mark.

He wasn't kidding.

The first three Hawaii pitchers had little success against the 18th-ranked Florida Gators last night at rain-swept Rainbow Stadium.

The Gators scored in each of the first six innings en route to a 12-6 victory in the season opener for both teams before 725 fans.

Senior left-hander Randon Ho started for the Rainbows, but lasted just 2-2/3 innings.

"He was wild, wild high. Everything he threw was wild high, even his breaking pitch was wild high," Murakami said.

"Usually he can keep his breaking pitch down. He had velocity, but everything was up."

The Gators knew exactly what to do with high pitches. They pounded Ho for seven hits that included three doubles, a triple and a three-run homer by Ryan Raburn in his first collegiate at-bat.

"We've been playing ourselves like everyone else. We thought we could hit, but you're never sure until you see different arms," said Florida assistant Steve Kling.

Kling was running the team while head coach Andy Lopez remained in his hotel with the flu.

Rayburn's shot, a high fly to the opposite field, rode the wind blowing out of Manoa Valley over the right-field wall at the 350-foot mark. It wiped out a brief 2-1 UH lead in the top of the second inning and the Gators were never really threatened after that.

Grant Sato followed Ho and gave up two hits, two walks and two runs, one earned.

Manuel Olivera was next and he couldn't keep his pitches down in the inning he worked. The Gators scored four more runs on five hits.

"If he can't spot his fastball, he's in trouble," Murakami said.

"Every mistake, every ball that was up, they hit it and they hit it hard. If this has been at their place, they would have had five home runs."

Aaron Pribble wasn't sharp, walking three, but he kept his pitches down and threw three scoreless innings.

Sean Yamashita got the final two outs

"I think Sean is back. He looked good and can be one of our better guys," said Murakami.

Florida starter Jimmy Ramshaw struggled and left after reaching his 80-pitch limit when he walked Patrick Scalabrini in the fifth.

Jay Belflower came on and gave Florida five quality innings. He allowed four hits, one earned run, walked one and struck out six.

"I'm trying to find three reliable, consistent starters. I don't care who they are or what they have, they have to be consistent," Murakami said.

Danny Kimura, a transfer from Nebraska, made his Rainbow debut memorable by smacking three doubles and driving in three runs. The three doubles ties a UH single-game record.

Kenn Wakakuwa and Lane Nogawa had two hits.

"They played well. Overall, we didn't play that bad, it was just our pitching," Murakami said.

"That's why we play this kind of team, to see how you measure up. If you can not, you ain't good enough."

UH left fielder Scooter Martines strained his left shoulder making a diving catch in the third inning and had to leave the game.

It's the same shoulder he injured last season making a similar catch in left field. It's not known how long he might be out, but it hurts to lose the team's cleanup hitter.

Right-hander Rich Snider will start for the Rainbows in tonight's 6:35 game.

He was 6-6 with a 4.24 earned run average a year ago.

Gators 12, Rainbows 6

FLORIDA		AB	R	H	BI	HAWAII 		AB	R	H	B1	
Kiger 2b	5	1	4	2	Chan dh		3	0	1	0
Keene lf-1b	6	1	2	1	Mitchell ph	0	1	0	0
Dill rf		5	0	2	0	Wakakwa c-1b	4	3	2	0
Shealy 1b	4	1	0	0	Scalabrini ss	4	1	1	0
Colombo pr	0	0	0	0	Martines lf	1	1	1	0
Goss lf		0	0	0	0	Jackson pr-cf	1	0	0	0
Osborn 3b	5	2	2	0	Boudon ph	1	0	0	1
Olson ss	6	2	2	2	Gilbride rf	1	0	0	0
Socarras c	2	4	1	1	Kimura 3b	5	1	3	3
Nystrom dh	2	0	2	2	Aloy rf-lf	4	0	1	0
Raburn cf	4	1	1	3	Bock 1b		3	0	0	0
						Aoki c		1	0	0	0
						Nogawa 2b	4	0	2	0
						Pico 2b		0	0	0	0
						Baker cf-lf	4	0	0	0
	Totals	39	12	16	11		Totals	36	6	11	4



Florida		132	114 	000 - 12	16	1
Hawaii		201   	010	011 -  6	11	1

E-Osborn, Bock.

DP-Florida 2 (Ramshaw-Olson-Shealy, Olson-kiger-Shealy), Hawaii 1 (Pribble-Scalabrini-Wakakuwa). LOB-Florida 12, Hawaii 9.

2B-Keene, Osborn, Olson, Chan, Kimura 3. 3B-Olson, Socarras. HR-Raburn. SB-Scalabrini. CS-Kiger, Chan. S-Nystrom. SF-Kiger, Nystrom.

Florida

			IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Ramshaw			4	7	4	4	2	5
Belflower (W,1-0)	5	4	2	1	1	6

Hawaii

			IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Ho (L,0-1)		2-1/3	7	6	6	1	2
Sato			2	2	2	1	2	0
Olivera			1	5	4	4	1	0
Pribble			3	2	0	0	3	2
Yamashita		2/3	0	0	0	1	1

WP-Belflower. HBP-Chan and Wakakuwa (by Ramshaw), Shealy (by Olivera), Nystrom (by Pribble), Mitchell (by Belflower).

Umpires-Montalbo (plate), Tomaszewski (first), Torres (third).

T-3:29. A-725.

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