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Thursday, March 30, 2000
Rainbows grab
a share of first
A 5-2 win over Pepperdine
By Al Chase
last night puts Hawaii in
a tie for the top spot in
the Easter Tournament
Star-BulletinThe University of Hawaii baseball team is still not hitting like it was two weeks ago, but, for a change, the Rainbows effectively bunched their hits last night.
Playing before the largest Rainbow Stadium crowd (2,240) of the season, the 'Bows broke open a pitchers' duel with a four-run sixth inning en route to a 5-2 victory over Pepperdine.
The win left Hawaii tied with Lewis-Clark State and Winthrop for first place in the 25th Rainbow Easter Tournament standings.
The win did not come easily as the Waves got a two-run homer off the left-field, foul-pole screen from Danny Garcia in the eighth.
Then, they loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth against UH closer Sean Yamashita.Tony Garcia singled on a two-strike pitch. Austin Evans fouled off three pitches before dumping a single into left and Woody Clifford walked on a 3-1 pitch.
"It's a lack of focus," said Rainbow head coach Les Murakami. "But Sean really focused after he got the bases loaded. In deference to Sean, I've used him three straight nights."
Yamashita got Duke Sardinha on a pop to short. Danny Garcia then hit a hard grounder to short for a game-ending double play although television replays indicated Garcia beat the relay to first.
Danny Kimura, struggling with just one hit in the previous five games, ended the mini-slump with three hits and three RBIs.
His first-inning single scored Scooter Martines, on with a two-out double to left-center field.
In the sixth, Kimura contributed a two-run single, then scored on Kenn Wakakuwa's double.
It's no secret the UH hitters, with the exception of Wakakuwa, have been frustrated by off-speed and breaking pitches since the San Jose State series.
"I think it depends on how you handle yourself at the plate. If you keep swinging at all that bad stuff, you're going to keep getting it," Kimura said."If you stay patient and lay off the slow breaking stuff, sooner or later they're going to have to bring something you can hit.
"I've been working on a few things.''
Kevin Gilbride, making his first start at first base, brought in the final run of the sixth inning with a line single to left.
With Kimura unavailable as a position player because of a broken bone in his right thumb, Murakami wanted to see Gilbride in the field and at the plate.
Brian Bock would play first base if an opposing left-hander started.
It's one of several little experiments Murakami is conducting during the tournament in preparation for selecting the 25-man Western Athletic Conference travel roster next week.
Jamie Aloy retired the first two hitters he faced in five of the first seven innings, then gave up a hit, walked a batter or hit one.
"When the first two outs come quickly, I kind of let up. It's poor. I'm just not staying in the game," Aloy said.
"But, Kramer (Aoki) and I were on the same page. It's funny, two guys, one brain."
Lewis-Clark State 3, Winthrop 0: Matt Hellman doubled in two runs and scored on Gabe Boruff's double in the third inning as the Warriors won.
Left-hander Nic Puckett pitched a complete-game, four hitter for Lewis-Clark State.
Rainbow Easter Tournament
Yesterday's resultsLewis-Clark State 3, Winthrop 0
Hawaii 5, Pepperdine 2Today's games
Pepperdine vs. Winthrop, 2:30 p.m.
Lewis-Clark State vs. Hawaii, 6:37 p.m.Tomorrow's games
Pepperdine vs. Lewis-Clark State, 2:30 p.m.
Winthrop vs. Hawaii, 6:37 p.m.Rainbows 5, Waves 2
Pepperdine ab r h bi Hawaii ab r h bi Cliffords 1b 4 1 1 0 Takamori rf 4 0 0 0 Du Sardinha 3b 5 0 1 0 Nogawa ss 3 1 0 0 D. Garcia cf 5 1 2 2 Martines lf 3 2 1 0 Da Sardinha c 2 0 0 0 Kimura dh 4 1 3 3 Coronado rf 3 0 0 0 Baker pr 0 0 0 0 Falco dh 3 0 2 0 Wakakuwa 2b 3 1 1 1 Katz 2b 4 0 1 0 Aoki c 3 0 0 0 T. Garcia ss 3 0 1 0 Scalabrini 3b 4 0 1 0 Evans lf 4 0 0 0 Gilbride 1b 4 0 1 1 Jackson cf 3 0 0 0 Totals 32 3 7 3 Totals 32 2 4 2
Pepperdine 000 000 020 - 2 9 1 Hawaii 100 004 00x - 5 7 0 E-Du. Sardinha (4).
DP-Hawaii 2 (Nogawa-Wakakuwa-Gilbride, Nogawa-Gilbride). LOB-Pepperdine 10, Hawaii 6.
2B-Cliffords (5), Du. Sardinha (11), Falco (2), Martines (6), Kimura (8), Wakakuwa (4). HR-D. Garcia (5). SB-D. Garcia (15). S-Aoki (1).
ip h r er bb so Winthrop Schenewerk (L, 3-2) 5 5 5 5 2 5 Adams 3 2 0 0 0 3 Hawaii Aloy (W, 5-2) 7 2/3 6 2 2 4 4 Yamashita (S, 3) 1 1/3 3 0 0 1 1 Schenewerk pitched to four batters in the sixth inning.
WP-Schenewerk (5). PB-Aoki (3). HBP-T. Garcia (by Aloy), Nogawa (by Schenewerk).
Umpires-Montalbo (plate), Tomaszewski (first), Ogawa (third). T-2:58. A-2,240.Lewis-Clark State 3, Winthrop 0
Lewis-Clark State 030 000 000 - 3 6 3 Winthrop 000 000 000 - 0 4 1 Nic Puckett and Gabe Boruff; Jeremy Herauf, Jason Horner (8), Ryan Chenard (9) and John Neale. W-Puckett (4-0). L-Herauf (3-5).
Leading hitters-LCS: Matt Hellman, 2b, 2 RBIs; Gabe Boruff, 2b. Winthrop: Conrad Funk, 2b.
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