Friday, January 28, 2000
Hawaii in sync
against San Diego
The Rainbows rap 17 hits
and silence the Toreros with
sound pitching in their
first win of 2000RealAudio: Live 'Net broadcast of games, more Click Here
By Al Chase
Star-BulletinHawaii's starting pitching got a little better and the Rainbow batters enjoyed their most productive night of the young season.
The combination resulted in a 13-6 victory over the San Diego Toreros witnessed by 568 chilled fans at Rainbow Stadium.
Senior left-hander Randon Ho had success the first three innings by spotting his pitches better and keeping the ball down. When he didn't, he struggled.
"Everything for me is rhythm and mechanics. When I have my rhythm, I just do it," Ho said.
On Ho's mechanics, Rainbow head coach Les Murakami said, "He arches back too much and the only way he can come to the plate is over the top and the ball stays high."
Like the pitch to San Diego's Kevin Reese that landed 370 feet from home plate beyond the right-field wall in the fourth inning.
The Rainbows (1-3) gave Ho breathing room with a three-run fifth inning, then settled matters with an eight-run seventh.
Outfielders Nate Jackson, a walk-on from the football team, and Derek Honma, a little-used reserve last season, started after showing well against Florida.
They each had two hits, an RBI and accounted for the three Rainbow stolen bases.
Designated hitter Shane Chan, who sat out 1999 with an injury, was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
Seniors Jamie Aloy and Kenn Wakakuwa, dropped to seventh and eighth, respectively, in the lineup for weak hitting, responded. Aloy had three hits and one RBI and Wakakuwa singled twice with an RBI.
After grounding into a double play and getting hit by a pitch, shortstop Patrick Scalabrini singled in his next two at bats to drive in three runs.
Jackson, who's only baseball action since graduating from Waianae two years ago was in the Oahu League last summer, had a two-week break before the Oahu Bowl to make the baseball team.
"I feel pretty good considering the time I had, but I'm still getting into baseball shape," Jackson said. "And I set pretty high standards for myself."
"If they (Jackson and Honma) keep hitting, they will play," Murakami said. "Everybody wondered why I was playing Shane, but he was the best in the fall and spring."
The teams play the second of their three games at 6:35 tonight.
Right-hander Rich Snider will start for Hawaii. The Toreros (3-3) are expected to start right-hander Kevin Gray.
Rainbows 13, Toreros 6
SAN DIEGO AB R H BI HAWAII AB R H B1 McCoy 2b 3 0 1 1 Jackson cf 3 1 2 1 Wright dh 4 0 0 1 Baker cf 1 0 1 0 Reese rf 4 1 2 2 Honma rf 4 2 2 1 Sain c 2 0 0 0 Gilbride rf 0 0 0 0 Assael c 1 1 1 0 Scalabrini ss 3 1 2 3 Lima lf 4 0 1 1 Richards 3b 1 0 0 0 Lembo lf 1 1 0 0 Kimura 3b 4 0 0 0 Hayes 1b 3 0 0 1 Purtell 2b 0 1 0 1 Skinner 1b 0 0 0 0 Chan dh 4 2 3 2 Bagley 3b 4 0 0 0 Boudon ph 1 0 0 0 Gontmaher cf 0 1 0 0 Nogawa 2b 3 0 0 0 Leuthard ph 1 0 0 0 Pico 2b-ss 2 1 1 0 Perez cf 0 1 0 0 Aloy lf 4 1 3 1 Harris ss 2 1 1 0 Mitchell lf 1 0 0 0 Wakakuwa c 3 1 2 1 Aoki c 1 0 0 0 Bock 1b 3 3 1 1 Tanigawa 1b 0 0 0 0 Totals 30 6 6 6 Totals 38 13 17 11 San Diego 000 110 022 - 6 6 1 Hawaii 001 031 80x - 13 17 1E-Bagley (1), Scalabrini (2). DP-USD 2 (McCoy-Harris-Hayes, Lima-McCoy), UH 2 (Nogawa-Scalabrini-Bock, Pico-Bock). LOB-USD 8, UH 7.2B-Chan (2), Aloy (1). 3B-Lima (1). HR-Reese (1). SB-Jackson (3), Honma 2 (2). S-McCoy (1), Jackson (1), Wakakuwa (1). SF-Wright (3), Reese (2).
San Diego
IP H R ER BB SO Hamilton (L, 1-1) 5 6 4 4 1 5 Amundson 1-1/3 10 9 7 0 1 Barrett 1-2/3 1 0 0 2 3Hawaii
IP H R ER BB SO Ho (W, 1-1) 5-2/3 3 2 2 4 4 Yamashita 1-1/3 0 0 0 1 1 Jones 1 2 2 2 0 0 Lee 0 0 2 2 3 0 Pribble 1 1 0 0 0 1WP-Amundson 3 (4), Lee 1 (1). PB-Sain 3 (5). HBP-Scalabrini (by Hamilton). Umpires - Tomaszewski (plate), Ogawa (first), LeBeau (third).T-3:07. A-568.
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