Monday, April 9, 2001
Childers University of Hawaii pitcher Wakon Childers was not involved in the decision in yesterday's 5-4 victory over Fresno State, but he managed to keep the Bulldogs' bats in check long enough at Rainbow Stadium.
lends a hand
in Rainbows’ win
over Bulldogs
The 5-foot-10, senior
By Al Chase
right-hander gives up
6 hits in 5-4 victory
Star-BulletinWhen a blister on the index finger of his pitching hand finally forced him to the dugout after 7 2/3 innings, closer Bryan Lee one-hit Fresno State the final 2 1/3 innings.
Danny Kimura's two-out, bases loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Rainbows to a Western Athletic Conference win over the Bulldogs, evening the three-game series at one victory apiece.
Childers shrugged off a couple of two-out, unearned runs in the third inning that allowed the Bulldogs to erase a two-run deficit. The senior right-hander's response was to retire 10 of the next 11 FSU batters.
"Right in the middle of the game, I felt every pitch was going to paint (catch the corners) the plate," Childers said. "I haven't felt that way for a long time."
The move to the starting rotation has been a blessing for Childers. Now he knows he will pitch once a week and doesn't have to deal with getting warmed up in the bullpen every game in case he's needed in relief.
"It makes it a lot easier for me to go out there one day a week and give it my all," said Childers.
"I'm beginning to get control of my outside fastball. It's been a problem, but I'm starting to spot that pitch real well. That makes my breaking pitches more effective."
After Oscar Lopez and Josh Labandeira singled to start the third inning and eventually scored on Cortland Wilson's throwing error, Childers did not allow another Fresno State hit until Casey McGehee opened the eighth with a single.
Ben Fritz's one-out, well-executed hit-and-run single moved McGehee to third from where he scored on a wild pitch.
By then it was obvious Childers was bothered by something on his pitching hand. Trainer Brian Wong came out and checked even though Childers tried to wave him off.
When UH right fielder Tim Montgomery hauled in Nick Garcia's high drive at the wall, Hawaii acting head coach Carl Furutani had seen enough. Lee came in and threw one pitch to pinch hitter Tobey Riday-White, who grounded out to end the inning.
FSU's fourth pitcher, Nick Moran, retired the 'Bows in order in the ninth and 10th innings while Lee allowed only a two-out single to Brad Harper in the 10th.
Then Kimura and Montgomery, both hitless until the 10th, got the job done.
Montgomery fouled off Moran's first pitch, a fastball.
"I should have hit that one hard. He came back with a fastball outside," Montgomery said.
He got enough bat on the ball to loft a single into right field.
Matt Purtell, hoping to sacrifice, walked. Although Wilson failed to make contact on a hit-and-run play, Montgomery had such a good jump on the pitch, the runners pulled a double steal.
Wilson fanned and FSU intentionally walked Gregg Omori, setting up the possible double play.
Patrick Scalabrini lined to left on a two-ball pitch, but McGehee was playing shallow and Montgomery had to hold at third.
Kimura fouled off a fastball, took another high, then pulled the third one over third base into left field for the game-winning hit.
Hawaii 5, Fresno State 4
FSU AB R H BI Hawaii AB R H BI Myers cf 3 0 0 0 Purtell cf 3 0 0 1 Beshears ph 0 0 0 0 Wilson ss 4 1 2 2 Young pr/cf 1 0 0 0 Omori 2b 4 0 0 0 Lopez 2b 4 1 1 0 Scalabrini 3b 4 0 1 1 Labandeira ss 5 1 2 0 Kimura 1b 5 0 1 1 Gemoll 1b 5 0 0 0 Pribble dh 2 1 0 0 McGehee lf 5 2 2 0 Bock c 3 1 0 0 Harper c 5 0 1 1 Gilbride lf 4 1 2 0 Fritz p/dh 3 0 1 0 Montgomery rf 4 1 1 0 Patrick pr 0 0 0 0 Childers p 0 0 0 0 Hafiz ph 1 0 0 0 Lee p 0 0 0 0 Garcia 3b 2 0 0 0 Totals 33 5 7 5 Walker rf 2 0 0 0 Guzman ph/rf 1 0 0 0 Riday-White ph/rf 1 0 0 0 Nieves p 0 0 0 0 Gutknecht p 0 0 0 0 Moran p 0 0 0 0 Totals 38 4 7 1
Fresno State 012 000 010 0 -- 4 7 1 Hawaii 030 010 000 1 -- 5 7 3 E--Lopez(9); Wilson 3(18). DP--FS 1; UH 1. LOB--FS 9; UH 7. 2B--Labandeira(10); McGehee(11); Wilson(9); Gilbride(2). SB--Purtell 2(15); Montgomery(10). SH--Lopez(3).
Fresno State IP H R ER BB SO Fritz 1.2 2 3 3 3 1 Nieves 4.0 3 1 1 3 0 Gutknecht 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 Moran (L, 2-4) 3.2 2 1 1 2 4 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Childers 7.2 6 4 2 4 5 Lee (W, 3-2) 2.1 1 0 0 0 0 WP--Nieves(1); Childers(1). BK--Childers(3).
T--2:45. A--2261 tickets (787 turnstile).
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
