’Bows beat Hornets
behind Lee’s pitching
By Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.com
The Hawaii Rainbows got a lead for the first time in the middle of a game this season and went on to defeat Cal State Sacramento 6-3 in the opener of a three-game series at Murakami Stadium last night.
Bryan Lee pitched into the eighth inning for the second consecutive start and Sean Yamashita halted a potential Hornet rally in the top of the ninth to earn the save.
Lee didn't have his best stuff according to UH coach Mike Trapasso, but surrendered just two earned runs, both coming on home runs by Chris Kinsey.
"It's the mark of a good pitcher when he can win when he doesn't have his best stuff," Trapasso said.
"I wasn't that happy with our overall game. I thought the passion was missing, but I told the players the win is the most important thing."
Both teams scored in the first inning. After Lee set the first two Hornets down, Chris Kinsey belted the first pitch over the left-center field wall 375 feet away.
Lee retired the Hornets in order the next four innings before giving up a leadoff single to Bret LeVier in the sixth inning. But he was thrown out trying to steal to end the threat.
The Rainbows responded in the bottom half of the inning with Brent Cook's one-out single to center, a two-out walk to Scooter Martines and Brian Bock's single to center that scored Cook.
Cal State Sacramento right-hander Kevin Marzion was almost as stingy. Martines, who walked in the fourth, was the only UH base runner until Nogawa's one-out single to center on a full count sparked a three-run, fifth inning.
Nogawa stole second and Arthur Guillen walked on a full count. After Cook fanned looking, CSUS coach John Smith elected to walk Gregg Omori intentionally to load the bases despite Omori being 1-for-19 at the plate.
Martines, on a 1-1 pitch, lifted a high fly to short right field that fell between second baseman Bobby Ciani, first baseman Kinsey and a hard-charging, sliding right fielder Mario Celillo. The bounced into foul territory and by the time it was recovered, Martines had a three-run triple for a 4-1 UH lead.
"I had lady luck on that one. I'm still trying to get comfortable in the box," Martines said. "He (Marzion) made a great pitch, had me out in front, but I'll take it. Sometimes a hit like that helps you get started."
Kinsey picked on Lee's first pitch again leading off the seventh and drove it over the left-field wall for his second home run.
The Hornets added another run in the eighth. Casey Fuller singled to right, stole second and took third on Clinton Honeycutt's groundout. Tim Reimer then hit a slow roller past the mound that UH shortstop Cortland Wilson charged, fielded cleanly, but pulled Omori off the bag at first allowing Fuller to score.
Trapasso brought in left-hander Matt Le Ducq at this point. Le Ducq hit Everett Rincon with his second pitch but got the dangerous Kinsey to line out to left to end the inning.
The Rainbows got both runs back in the bottom of the eighth off CSUS reliever Steve Cuckovich.
Martines drew his third walk of the game to start the inning and was sacrificed to second by Bock. Cortland Wilson's one-hop double off the right-field wall scored Martines. Wilson took third on a grounder and came home on Tim Montgomery's single to left.
Note: Yesterday's rainy weather held last night's crowd down to 600 fans and threatened to delay or postpone the series opener. There have been two games rained out since the present stadium was opened in 1984. In 1990, the final game of a three-game series against Notre Dame was canceled. In 1999, the final regular-season Western Athletic Conference game against New Mexico was canceled as both teams had qualified for the WAC tournament due to earlier results on the mainland that day. In 1987, the first game of a four-game series with UCLA, scheduled for a Thursday night, was postponed until the following Monday due to heavy rain.
Hawaii 6, Sacramento St. 3
| SacramentoSt. |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
Hawaii |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
| Reimer cf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Guillen cf |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
| Ciani 2b |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Cook 3b |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| Rincon 2b |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Omori 1b |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Kinsey 1b |
4 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
Martines dh |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Evans c |
4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Bock c |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Celillo rf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Wilson ss |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| Wilson dh |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Gilbride lf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Fuller lf |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
Montgomery rf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Gill ph/pr |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Nogawa 2b |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Carson pr/dh |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Totals |
30 |
6 |
9 |
5 |
| LeVier ss |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
|
|
| Honeycutt 3b |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Totals |
32 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
|
| Sacramento St. |
100 |
000 |
110 |
-- |
3 |
7 |
0 |
| Hawaii |
100 |
030 |
02x |
-- |
6 |
9 |
1 |
E--Wilson. DP--Sacramento St. 1, Hawaii 1. LOB--Sacramento St. 5, Hawaii 6. 2B--Wilson. 3B--Martines. HR--Kinsey 2. SH--Bock. SF--none. SB--Fuller, Guillen, Cook, Nogawa 2. CS--Evans, LeVier, Guillen.
| Sacramento St. |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
| Marzion (L, 0-1) |
6.0 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
| Cuckovich |
2.0 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| Hawaii |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
| Lee (W, 1-0) |
7.2 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| Le Ducq |
0.2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Yamashita |
0.2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
WP--Lee. S--Yamashita (1). PB--Bock. HBP--Rincon (Le Ducq). Umpires--HP: Gary Montalbo, 1B: Don Greman, 3B:Keoki Torres. T--2:24. A--600.
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