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Friday, January 26, 2001
Hawaii bats The great American game of baseball is designed never to end.
show pop in
extra innings
Two freshmen rise up to give
the Rainbows an 11th-inning
victory over the HornetsRealAudio: 'Net broadcast Click Here
By Al Chase
Star-BulletinCal State Sacramento and Hawaii tested that thought at Rainbow Stadium last night.
Just when it seemed UH would win the season opener for both teams, the Hornets stung the Rainbows with five ninth-inning runs.
The visitors' jubilation ceased when third baseman Chris Kinsey's wild throw to first allowed UH to tie the score at 7-7 with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Hornets teased the crowd by advancing a runner to third base in both the 10th and 11th innings. But left-hander Aaron Pribble, the fourth Hawaii pitcher, escaped damage each time.And just when it looked like there might be a 12th inning, two freshman came through with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning for the Rainbows.
The 8-7 victory was the first for acting head coach Carl Furutani.
Tim Montgomery, a right fielder from Sammamish, Wash., chopped a single to left field on the first pitch from Benny Gonzalez to ignite the two-out rally.
Montgomery stole second despite a Hornets' pitch out.
Cortland Wilson, a shortstop from Sandy, Utah, worked the count full, then fouled off a couple of pitches before sending a soft liner over shortstop that scored Montgomery without a throw.
"About two steps out of the box, I saw it and was telling the ball to get up," Wilson said.
Asked how much space there was between Tito Barba's glove and the ball, Wilson held two fingers about an inch apart.
Montgomery's hit eluded both Kinsey and Barba as it tantalizingly bounced through the hole.
The Hornets had their share of good fortune in the ninth. With one out and the bases loaded, Dave Lusk's grounder to third hit the bag and caromed into left.
UH closer Bryan Lee jammed pinch hitter Daryl Grant on a 2-2 count, but Grant got enough of the bat handle on the ball to flare a two-run single to right. That put the Hornets ahead for the first time in the game.
The runners that scored had advanced to second and third on an uncontested double steal.
"We weren't happy with that, but you have to move on," Furutani said. "There were a lot of freak things on both sides.
"I thought of bringing Pribble in to face the left-hander (Grant), but Lee had settled down. Everyone I brought in started off nervous.
"The thing I liked about the game was the guys didn't give up, didn't hang their heads. They just challenged each other."
Jeff Coleman was UH's starting pitcher and went five innings, giving up just two hits.
Chris Quiroz pitched the next three innings and gave up two runs. However, he got out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth without a run scoring.
"When you have that situation and get out of it, that's good," said Quiroz, a closer at UC Santa Barbara before transferring to UH. "It shows you have a lot of confidence in yourself and the nerves aren't too much to overcome."
"I started off a little shaky, but after the first inning, I settled down and had command of my pitches," Coleman said.
A fastball pitcher, Coleman also throws a curve and change-up.
"I established the change-up in the last year. It helps a lot," Coleman said.
Pribble demonstrated he is an improved pitcher over last year.
"Over the summer I specifically worked on some mechanical adjustments," he said. "I think they paid dividends over the fall in terms of a little more velocity."
The teams play tonight at 6:35 and tomorrow at 1:05 p.m.
Rainbows 8, Hornets 7
Sacramento ab r h bi Hawaii ab r h bi Jackson cf 3 1 2 0 Purtell 2b 5 1 3 3 Williams 2b 5 0 0 1 Scalabrini 3b 4 0 0 0 Lusk c 5 0 3 2 Omori 2b-1b 4 0 1 0 Sharp pr 0 1 0 0 Kimura 1b 5 1 2 1 Penbera p 0 0 0 0 Nogawa 2b 1 0 0 0 Evans dh-c 4 0 0 0 Boudon lf 3 0 1 0 Brown lf 3 0 0 0 Guillen pr-lf-cf 3 1 0 0 Frietas ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Flick c 5 2 2 0 Grant ph 1 1 1 2 Montgomery rf 6 2 3 1 Atchue lf 1 0 0 0 Wilson ss 4 1 2 1 Carson ph 1 0 1 0 Honma cf 4 0 0 0 Gonzalez p 0 0 0 0 Gilbride ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Kinsey 3b 6 0 2 1 Maghan 1b 5 0 0 0 Celillo rf 4 2 0 0 Barba ss 5 2 3 0 Totals 44 7 12 6 Totals 45 8 14 6
Sacramento St. 000 010 105 00 -- 7 12 2 Hawaii 100 003 012 01 -- 8 14 3 Two outs when winning run scored.
E-Kinsey (1), Maghan (1), Omori (1), Boudon (1), Wilson (1).
DP-CSS 2 (Williams-Barba-Maghan, Jackson-Williams), UH 1 (Wilson-Omori-Kimura). LOB-CSS 11, UH 13.
2B-Jackson (1), Carson (1), Kinsey (1), Barba (1), Purtell (1). SB-Jackson 3 (3), Sharp (1), Purtell 2 (2), Scalabrini, Montgomery 2 (2), Wilson. SF-Williams (1).
Cal State Sacramento
ip h r er bb so Miranda 5 6 4 4 3 4 Plouffe 2 2/3 4 1 1 0 2 Redden 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 Penbera 2 2 2 0 1 2 Gonzalez (L, 0-1) 2/3 2 1 1 0 0
Hawaii
ip h r er bb so Coleman 5 2 1 0 2 5 Quiroz 3 4 2 2 2 3 Lee 2/3 4 4 4 1 2 Pribble (W, 1-0) 2 1/3 2 0 0 0 4 Miranda pitched to four batters in the sixth inning; Quiroz pitched to one batter in the ninth inning.
WP-Penbera (1), Coleman (1), Pribble 2 (2). HBP-Omori, Wilson and Scalabrini (by Miranda), Jackson (by Coleman), Scalabrini (by Redden).
Umpires-Tomaszewski (plate), Montalbo (first), Greman (third). T-3:52. A-886.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
