Wednesday, March 28, 2001

GEORGE F. LEE / STAR-BULLETIN
Hawaii Pacific second baseman Ryan Blood forces out
Gabe Lopez and throws to first for a double play during
last night's game at Hans L'Orange Park. HPU also
played a morning game against Wichita State at
Rainbow Stadium in Manoa.

Hawaii Pacific plays two
baseball games in a day -- in
a span of over 12-1/2 hours

By Brandon Lee
Special to the Star-Bulletin

The Hawaii Pacific University baseball team took the saying, "Let's play two!" to another level yesterday.

The phrase is baseball lingo for a doubleheader: two games typically played back-to-back against the same team, with a 30-minute break in between.

As an NCAA Division II independent in Hawaii forced to schedule as many games as it can, when it can, the Sea Warriors are accustomed to doubleheaders. The majority of HPU's schedule is comprised of twinbills. But yesterday was anything but customary, even for the Sea Warriors.

HPU is in the middle of the Rainbow Easter Baseball Tournament, which began Monday and runs through Sunday at Rainbow Stadium in Manoa.

The Sea Warriors had just one tournament game scheduled yesterday, which they lost, 7-0, to Division I Wichita State. The game opened tournament action for the day at 9 a.m. and finished around 11:30 a.m.

GEORGE F. LEE / STAR-BULLETIN
Hawaii Pacific starter Peter Sonier delivers against
San Jose State last night. The Spartans won, 7-3.

Before being invited to the tournament, however, HPU had scheduled its final home game of the season, against Division I San Jose State, for 7 p.m. last night at Hans L'Orange Park in Waipahu.

The Spartans (16-12-1) handed the Sea Warriors (16-13) their fourth consecutive loss, 7-3.

So the Sea Warriors indeed "played two" yesterday, but against two different teams, on two different fields. One was a tournament game and the other not, with more than 12-1/2 hours in between the opening pitch of the first game to the final out of the second.

"The kids left their house at 6:30 in the morning and took (batting practice) at 7:30; it's been a long day for them," HPU coach Allan Sato said. "But I think at this level, they've got to be self-motivated.

"It was good the (first) game was at nine because they got a chance to rest at home and spend time with their families on spring break. But they've got to come (to the park for the second) emotionally up and know they got a game ahead of them."

With Sato and SJSU coach Sam Piraro being good friends, Sato said Piraro would have understood if HPU backed out of game at late notice because of the

Easter Tournament. But Sato wanted to honor the commitment because of their friendship, and also because the game was Senior Night for 10 Sea Warrior players.

Senior tri-captain, catcher Tyrus Matsumoto, was unfazed by yesterday's unusual schedule, managing to snag a two-hour nap in between the two games he played behind the plate. He had two hits, including an RBI single, and threw out two runners attempting to steal in the nightcap. He also threw out four Wichita State runners earlier in the day.

"It feels kind of like a dream, actually," said Matsumoto before the evening game. "I woke up and felt like I had played (Wichita State) yesterday.

"But you just gotta suck it up and go. I'm sure all the seniors feel the same way, they want to go out strong on their last night on their home field."

Besides Matsumoto, the other seniors who experienced their final game at historic Hans L'Orange and took a ceremonial final lap around the bases when it was done were infielders Ryan Blood, Jeremiah Yacap, and Bryce Uegawachi, outfielders Daric Stith and Tom Peters and pitchers Palani Nunes, Kelton Otsuka, Keola McCallum and Eli Lloyd.

"It's like 'wow,' " Otsuka said. "The four years went by so fast.''

HPU returned to the Easter Tournament and Rainbow Stadium today to face Lewis-Clark State at 3 p.m.

http://www.hpu.edu