Hawaii’s Finegan Two outs. Bases loaded. Tie game. An 0-2 count.
is fine again in
win over Hilo
The shortstop hit a key double in his
first game since his hitting streak endedBy Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.comThere was only one option for Brian Finegan in this fifth-inning situation last night.
Swing. And swing hard.
The Hawaii shortstop connected on a Robert Shimabuku fastball for what proved to be the game-breaker, clearing the bases with a three-run double to lift the Rainbows (9-3) to a 9-2 victory over Hawaii-Hilo (5-26) at Murakami Stadium. It was the second hit of the contest for the junior, who saw his 10-game hitting streak end in Wednesday's win over Hawaii Pacific.
A crowd of 1,300 saw the Rainbows pick up their second win over the Vulcans this season to lead the series, 96-19. Scheduled to start in today's 1:05 p.m. rematch are Hawaii's Justin Cayetano (1-1) and Hilo's Brian Ebbs (2-5).
"I had a feeling he was going to come with a fastball and I was looking for it," said Finegan, who finished 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs. "They (the Vulcans) compete hard. Their five errors couldn't have helped. It would have been a tighter game.
"We didn't follow our plan, started chasing balls. Once we got back to our plan, working to the opposite field, hitting doubles, we were all right."
Last night, the Rainbows pounded out 13 hits, including five doubles, against four Vulcan pitchers. Hawaii starter Chris George (4-0) went six innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and striking out six.
"Chris didn't have good stuff today, struggled with his breaking pitch," said Rainbow coach Mike Trapasso. "He gutted it out and giving up two runs is a credit to him. Tomorrow we want to execute better. Tonight, we were too impatient. But when you look up at the end and it's a 9-2 win, we hung in and got the job done."
Vulcan coach Joey Estrella was disappointed the scoreboard didn't accurately reflect the game.
"Offensively we do well but we can't get the clutch hit," said Estrella. "We had enough hits to win (11) but we also hit into two double plays.
"The biggest thing was we had five errors, three in that one inning (UH's three-run fifth), that caused the difference. I didn't think it was a 9-2 ballgame. It was closer than that. Offensively we're fine. We just have to clutch up defensively a little more."
The Vulcans struck first with two outs in the top of the second. Second baseman Douglas Nassimbene launched a full-count offering from George over the right-field wall some 360 feet out for his first homer of the season.
The Rainbows answered with a run in the bottom of the second. Designated hitter Jaziel Mendoza doubled, then scored one out later on a single by Finegan.
Nassimbene put Hilo back on top in the fourth with an RBI double into the left-field corner to score Nalei Sooto from second. Hawaii tied it right back up in the bottom of the inning on Brent Cook's single over short that brought Mendoza home.
Finegan followed with a walk to put two runners on with one out, but the Rainbows blew an opportunity to break the tie due to a base-running miscue. Cook held up at second, thinking Josh Green's hit to center would be caught,
Instead, it dropped in for a single and it was Finegan who caught up with Cook rounding second. Cook would eventually be caught in a rundown off third; Rocky Russo grounded out to end the inning and the threat.
Ahead 5-2, Hawaii added two runs in the bottom of the sixth on three doubles off Hilo reliever Jason Miyahira. Russo doubled in Green and, two outs later, Montgomery doubled home Russo.
The Vulcans threatened in the sixth and the seventh, loading the bases both times. But Nassimbene hit into a double play to end the sixth and Rainbow reliever Clary Carlsen got Tom Henderson to pop up to left in the seventh.
Russo drove in Hawaii's final two runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Rainbows had runners thrown out at the plate in both the seventh and eighth innings.
Note: Today's game is the last of the season for Vulcan assistant coach David Miller. Miller, a first-round draft choice in 1995 by the Cleveland Indians, will leave Wednesday for spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"I owe it to myself to give it one last shot," said the former Clemson center fielder, who signed a minor league contract with the Pirates last month. "If it doesn't work out, I'll be back here for sure next season. I love coaching here."
Miller played in the Indians organization for several years, but never was called up to the big club. In his way was Gold Glove center fielder Kenny Lofton.
Miller played against both the Rainbows and Vulcans in 1994.
Hawaii 9, UH-Hilo 2
Hilo AB R H BI Hawaii AB R H BI Oligo cf 5 0 1 0 Finegan ss 4 0 3 4 Lockett 3b 3 0 1 0 Cook 1f 4 1 1 1 Henderson 1b 4 0 0 0 Green rf 4 1 2 0 Sooto c 4 1 2 0 Russo 3b 5 1 3 3 McLaughlin dh 2 0 0 0 Mendoza dh 3 3 2 0 Sarmiento prdh 1 0 1 0 Sansaver 1b 4 0 0 0 Nassimbene 2b 4 1 3 2 Bock c 4 1 1 0 Oketani rf 4 0 0 0 Montgomery cf 5 1 1 1 Drever ss 4 0 0 0 Gilbride dh 0 0 0 0 Tamura 1f 4 0 3 0 Magana 2b 3 1 0 0 Shimabuku p 0 0 0 0 Omura ph2b 1 0 0 0 Miyahira p 0 0 0 0 George p 0 0 0 0 Jobes p 0 0 0 0 Carlsen p 0 0 0 0 Vernon p 0 0 0 0 McDowell p 0 0 0 0 Totals 35 2 11 2 Totals 37 9 13 9
Hilo (5-26) 010 100 000 -- 2 11 5 Hawaii (9-3) 010 132 20X -- 9 13 1 E -- Lockett, Henderson, Nassimbene, Drever 2, Finegan. LOB -- Hilo 8, Hawaii 13. 2B -- Sooto, Nassimbene, Finegan, Green, Russo, Montgomery, Mendoza. HR -- Nassimbene. SB -- Omura.
Hilo IP H R ER BB SO Shimabuku 5 7 5 2 4 6 Miyahira 1 1/3 3 4 4 0 0 Jobes 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 Vernon 1 1/3 3 0 0 1 0 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO George 6 7 2 2 0 6 Carlsen 2 4 0 0 1 1 McDowell 1 0 0 0 0 1 W -- George (4-0).
L -- Shimabuku (0-5).
WP -- Shimabuku.
HBP -- by George (McLaughlin), by Miyahira (Magana, Cook), by Vernon (Sansaver).
Umpires -- HP: Keoki Torres, 1b: Don Greman, 3b: Ryan Arasato.
T -- 2:45.
A -- 1,300.
UH Athletics
Vulcan Athletics
