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Friday, February 4, 2000
Bigger, better
Bruins batter ’BowsThe UCLA baseball team
By Al Chase
makes up for past losses at
Rainbow Stadium by pounding
on Hawaii's pitching
Star-BulletinEnough was enough for the UCLA Bruins, especially for all the juniors who had lost six consecutive games here over the past two seasons.
Losing number seven was not an option for the Bruins last night when they took the field to begin a three-game series against Hawaii at Rainbow Stadium.
"It seems like that's all we've talked about," UCLA head coach Gary Adams said. "We've been to Hawaii the past two years and not had much fun."
Seven turned out to be a good number for UCLA. The Bruins scored seven runs in the first inning, which is four more than they scored in three games last year.
The Bruins pounded Hawaii's first three pitchers for 13 runs and 14 hits in the first four innings on the way to a 15-3 rout.
Eric Reece hit for the cycle and drove in three runs, Bill Scott hit a 390-foot two-run homer to left-center field and Chase Utely drove in three runs for the Bruins.
"We are a good hitting team. It was pretty extra special tonight," Adams said.
The Bruins had two home runs, two triples and four doubles among their 18 hits.
Senior left-hander Randon Ho started for the 'Bows and lasted two-thirds of an inning. He threw 38 pitches to 10 Bruins, and managed to get the first pitch in for a strike just twice.
His arm angle during delivery was noticeably lower last night then in his first two starts.
"Randon is trying to get back to where he was last year," UH pitching coach Carl Furutani said.
"He's only had a few days to work on it. He was flat. His ball wasn't dipping and it was over the plate. He's overcome most of the hurdles but needs to work on the finer things."
UH head coach Les Murakami called Ho's outing strange, said it was his best of the year although not for the score, but for the way he threw.
"Randon's pitches were low. It shocked me they way they hit. I thought he would get out of the inning. That's why I left him out there.
"After that, it didn't make any difference. They just teed off."
Ian Jones gave up two runs in a short stint and the Bruins got to Manuel Olivera for four runs.
Grant Sato, a sophomore right-hander, was the most effective Rainbow pitcher.
He allowed just two hits, walked no one and struck out two in 4 1/3 innings.
Kenn Wakakuwa accounted for half of the Rainbow hits with three singles up the middle.
Hawaii might have been able to battle back against UCLA starter Ryan Carter, but lacked the timely hit, stranding eight men on the bases in the first four innings.
Carter, a 6-foot-7 left-hander, had to leave the game in the fourth inning with a hyperextended right shoulder after colliding with Reece at first base.
"I've seen them for three years and I'm amazed at how big they got from last year to this year," Murakami said. "I don't think they work any harder in the weight room then we do. They must have a secret formula.
Right-hander Rich Snider will start for UH tonight. He will be opposed by UCLA right-hander Jon Brandt.
Bruins 15, Rainbows 3
UCLA ab r h bi Hawaii ab r h b1 Utley 2b 5 1 2 3 Honma rf 4 1 1 0 Pinto 2b 1 0 0 0 Pico ss 3 0 0 0 Atkins 3b 5 2 4 1 Jackson ph 1 0 0 0 Pearl rf 0 1 0 0 Chan dh 3 0 0 0 Scott lf 4 2 2 3 Nogawa ph 2 2 0 0 Lewis lf 1 0 0 0 Kimura 3b 3 0 1 1 Reece 1b 5 3 4 3 Boudon ph 1 0 0 0 Johnson c 4 2 2 0 Scalabrini 1b 3 0 0 0 Hamill c 1 0 1 1 Aloy lf 4 0 1 0 Berry dh 3 1 1 2 Mitchell cf 4 1 0 0 Canales ph 1 0 0 0 Wakakuwa 2b 4 1 3 0 Merricks cf 4 1 1 1 Bock c 4 0 2 2 Mitchell cf 0 0 0 0 Trott ss 4 1 1 0 Hoffman ss 0 0 0 0 Lyon rf 3 1 0 0 Shelley 3b 0 0 0 0 Totals 41 16 18 14 Totals 35 3 6 3
UCLA 721 300 002 - 15 18 0 Hawaii 110 100 000 - 3 6 1 E-Pico (2).
DP-UCLA 1 (Trott-Utley-Reece), UH 3 (Pico-Scalabrini 2, Kimura-Wakakuwa-Scalabrini). LOB-UCLA 9, UH10.
2B-Atkins (1), Scott (1), Reece (1), Hamill (1), Bock (2). 3B-Reece (1), Johnson (1). HR-Reece (1), Scott (1). SF-Scott (1), Berry (1).
ip h r er bb so UCLA Carter 3° 7 3 3 3 3 Kunes (W, 1-0) 5 1 0 0 1 5 Hawaii Ho (L, 1-2) 6 7 7 2 1 Jones 3 2 2 2 0 Olivera 2° 5 4 4 3 1 Sato 4° 2 0 0 0 2 Pribble 1 2 2 2 1 1 WP-Carter 2 (2), Olivera (1). PB-Bock (1). Balk-Olivera (1). HBP-Chan (by Kunes).
Umpires-Montalbo (plate), Pittman (first), Torres (third).
T-2:51. A-887.
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
