’Bows hit bottom HILO >> The Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans devised a perfect way to conclude their home season and celebrate Senior Sunday yesterday by rallying to defeat the Hawaii Rainbows twice.
after sweep at Hilo
The Vulcans take a doubleheader
from Hawaii for the first time
to complete a 4-game sweepStaff and wire services
The UHH doubleheader victory, the first in 26 years of baseball competition between the schools, powered the Vulcans to a shocking four-game series sweep of the Rainbows.
The weekend results more than atoned for the embarrassment the Vulcans suffered last year when they lost the last six games of the season to Hawaii, including the final meeting when the 'Bows rallied for seven runs in a humiliating bottom of the ninth inning.
Yesterday, the Vulcans (8-25-1) used the long ball to win the opener 7-5, then took advantage of Brent Cook's one-out throwing error to break a 1-1, eighth-inning tie and win the second game 3-1.
"We're still at rock bottom. I have to take full responsibility. I'm obviously not getting it out of our guys," said UH coach Mike Trapasso. "The effort was there except for the last game, but the results aren't there. We're not playing like we practice and I have to shoulder the blame for that. I can handle it."
In the nightcap, the Vulcans took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Rainbow starter Jason Piepmeier hit Kaliko Oligo with the second pitch of the game. Oligo was sacrificed to second by Daniel Lockett and scored easily on Keola Park's opposite-field double down the left-field line.
Hawaii managed to tie the score at 1-1 in the top of the seventh after two outs when UHH starter Clay Daugherty hit Scooter Martines and Chad Boudon. Martines scored on Cortland Wilson's single to left.
Piepmeier settled into a groove and allowed the Vulcans only two hits over 6 1/3 innings. He was replaced by Matt Le Ducq after Daniel Rhodes sacrificed Darren Chu, who walked on four pitches, to second.
Le Ducq gave up a single to Oligo, but Chu stopped at third. Hawaii got a temporary break when Chu was tagged out at home by trying to score on a pitch that got by Brian Bock, but the UH catcher recovered in time to flip to Le Ducq for the final out of the seventh inning.
However, Nalei Sooto reached second on Cook's errant throw. Le Ducq fanned Park for the second out, but Chad Agustin lined a 1-1 pitch into the left-field corner for a run-scoring double, then scored an insurance run on Sean Tamura's pinch-hit single to left.
Jason Castro, who pitched five creditable innings against the 'Bows Friday night, sealed the sweep with a 1, 2, 3 ninth inning against UH's Lane Nogawa, Martines and Boudon, the 3, 4 and 5 batters.
Probably the bright spot of the weekend was Piepmeier's effort, certainly the best of UH's four starting pitchers.
"Jason was outstanding. He kept the ball down. He has tremendous stuff and we tinkered with his arm angle just a little to help him become more consistent," Trapasso said.
Piepmeier has a fastball in the 86 to 90 mph range and a power breaking ball. Like first-game starter Ricky Bauer, Trapasso expects Piepmeier to be a big part of the Rainbows' future.
In the seven-inning opener, the Rainbows couldn't stand the prosperity of a 4-0 lead as Bauer didn't survive the third inning. He started well enough, pitching two perfect innings, but the Vulcans erupted for six runs in the bottom of the third. It all started after UH shortstop Jason Carlson booted Chu's one-out, ground ball.
The error opened the door for the Vulcans who took advantage of every mistake the Rainbows made this weekend.
Chu stole second and scored on Rhodes' double to left. Bauer then got ahead of the next two batters with two quick strikes but retired neither. Oligo was hit by Bauer's next pitch and Lockett singled to right scoring Rhodes.
The runners advanced a base on a groundout, then scored when Nalei Sooto doubled over Nate Jackson's head in center. Park followed by blasting Bauer's 2-1 pitch over the right-field fence for a 6-4 UHH lead.
"RIcky's whole thing is his focus. The minute he faces adversity, he can't put the fire out," said Trapasso. "That is coaching. I've got to get him to overcome that.
"He and all our pitchers need to know we can't take a pitch off. A run or two can mean the difference in a game, especially the way we hit."
Even the final UHH run was a gift, scoring on a wild pitch by reliever Aaron Pribble.
The Rainbows took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run single by Grady Symonds and a bases-loaded walk to Nogawa that scored Symonds with just one out.
However, the 'Bows left the bases loaded, something that has become a habit this season, and stranded 10 runners in the seven-inning contest.
The Rainbows, who hit .211 in Hilo, have lost seven consecutive games.
Game 1 Hawaii-Hilo 7, Hawaii 5
Hawaii (7-15) AB R H BI Hilo (7-25-1) AB R H BI Jackson cf 4 0 1 0 Oligo cf 2 1 0 0 Cook 3b 2 0 2 1 Lockett lf 3 1 1 1 Nogawa 2b 3 0 0 1 Nassimb. lf 0 0 0 0 Martines dh 3 0 0 0 Dudoit 3b 3 0 1 0 Honma lf 4 0 0 0 Sooto c 3 1 1 2 Boudon rf 3 1 1 0 Park 1b 3 1 1 2 Gilbride 1b 3 1 1 0 Agustin 2b 3 0 0 0 Carlson ss 4 2 2 0 Hanohano dh 2 1 1 0 Mocny pr 0 0 0 0 Egusa. ph 1 0 0 0 Symonds c 4 1 2 3 Chu rf 3 1 1 0 Rhoades ss 1 1 1 1 Totals 30 5 9 5 Totals 24 7 7 6
Hawaii 031 001 0 -- 5 9 2 Hawaii-Hilo 006 100 x -- 7 7 4 E--Carlson 2, Dudoit 2, Agustin, Rhoades. DP--None. LOB--Hawaii 10, Hawaii-Hilo 1. 2B--Boudon, Sooto, Rhoades. HR--Park. HBP--Gilbride, Oligo. SH--Rhoades. SF--None. SB--Cook, Chu. CS--Jckson.
Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Bauer (0-3) 2.2 4 6 5 0 3 Pribble 3.1 3 1 1 0 3 Hawaii-Hilo IP H R ER BB SO Wolske 3.0 5 4 3 4 0 Miyahira (1-0) 3.0 3 1 0 1 3 Castro 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 WP--Pribble. S--none. PB--none. BK--Quaglieri. HB--Bauer, Wolske. Umpires--Keoki Torres (home), Audie Cabadol (first), Frank Tomaszewski (third). T--2:24. A--300.
Game 2 Hawaii-Hilo 3, Hawaii 1
Hawaii (7-16) AB R H BI Hilo (8-25-1) AB R H BI Jackson cf 4 0 0 0 Oligo cf 2 1 1 0 Cook 3b 4 0 1 0 Lockett lf 3 0 1 0 Nogawa 2b 4 0 0 0 Nassimb. lf 0 0 0 0 Martines dh 3 1 0 0 Dudoit 3b 1 0 0 0 Boudon rf 3 0 0 0 Sooto c 4 1 0 0 Wilson ss 3 0 1 1 Park 1b 4 0 1 1 Symonds dh 3 0 0 0 Agustin 2b 4 1 2 1 Gilbride 1b 3 0 0 0 Hanohano dh 3 0 0 0 Bock c 2 0 1 0 Tamura ph 1 0 1 1 Chu rf 3 0 0 0 Rhoades ss 1 0 0 0 Totals 29 1 3 1 Totals 26 3 6 3
Hawaii 000 000 100 -- 1 3 1 Hawaii-Hilo 100 000 02x -- 3 6 0 E--Cook. DP--Hawaii 1. LOB--Hawaii 4, Hawaii-Hilo 8. 2B--Lockett, Park, Agustin, Tamura. HBP--Martines, Boudon, Bock. Oligo. SH--Oligo, Lockett, Rhoades. SF--None. SB--None.
Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Piepmeier 6.1 3 1 1 5 4 Le Ducq (1-2) 1.2 3 2 0 0 3 Hawaii-Hilo IP H R ER BB SO Daugherty 6.2 2 1 1 0 8 Zimmerman (1-1) 2.1 1 0 0 0 2 WP--Daugherty. S--none. PB--none. BK--Quaglieri. HB--Bauer, Wolske. Umpires-- Frank Tomaszewski (home), Ben Doss (first), Keoki Torres (third). T--2:15. A--400.
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