FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Isaac Omura got Kyle Humphreys out on the front end of a double play in a 3-1 loss to Louisiana Tech last night.
Lockwood shuts
down RainbowsThe LaTech pitcher throws
a three-hitter in a 3-1 WAC winWAC standings
Jon Lockwood fired a three-hit gem at the Hawaii Rainbows last night to lead the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs to a 3-1 victory in the opener of a three-game Western Athletic Conference series at Murakami Stadium.
Lockwood struck out four and walked one in pitching his first complete game of the season.
The Bulldogs (17-30-1, 9-16 WAC) made just enough use of their 12 hits to get the junior right-hander all the support he needed. Louisiana Tech was flawless in the field and made several outstanding plays defensively.
Of the first 12 UH outs, seven were fly balls. Of the next nine outs, the 'Bows (26-24, 7-18 WAC) grounded out six times. Lockwood finished the game by retiring 12 of the final 13 'Bows he faced.
UH starter Ricky Bauer did not have his best stuff, but he was able to make key pitches when necessary to hold the Bulldogs at bay until the sixth inning.
"Ricky pitched well enough to win, but he got zero support. We were very uninspired tonight," said Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso. "We have to come out with more passion."
UH shortstop Brian Finegan said, "We hit Lockwood hard early on, but we were flat one through nine. Coach talked to us about it after the game and you'll see a different team tomorrow."
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Isaac Omura waited for a throw as a Louisiana Tech runner attempted to steal second base. Omura tagged him out.
The loss drops the Rainbows two full games behind Louisiana Tech for last place in the WAC standings.
Lockwood and Bauer kept the score at 0-0 through five innings, although Bauer had tense moments in the fourth and fifth.
John Brandon singled and Fairon Allen beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt for an infield single to give the Bulldogs runners at first and second with no one out in the fourth. Bauer fanned Wade Robinson, then got consecutive grounders to second baseman Isaac Omura.
In the fifth, after two were out, Jody Wood and Brandon Haygood singled and Bauer hit Brandon with a pitch to load the bases, but Allen grounded into a force at second to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Lockwood, using an economical 46 pitches, allowed one hit through five innings, a two-out single to left-center field by Omura in the third. The only other UH base runner through five was Rocky Russo, who walked to start the fifth. He was promptly picked off first by Lockwood.
Louisiana Tech broke through in the sixth when Robinson ripped a two-strike pitch on the ground down the right-field line for a double and moved to third on Kyle Humphreys' bunt single up the third-base line. Ben Tabor hit into a double play and Robinson scored.
Bauer then hit Jeff Walker with his first pitch. Pinch runner Jeremy Alford stole second and scored when Ryan Jackson's soft fly ball dropped in for a double down the left-field line.
The Rainbows got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Josh Green was safe on a fielding error by Haygood at second. Omura followed with a single to right and Green stopped at second. Finegan sacrificed the runners up a base and Green scored on Andrew Sansaver's ground out.
The Bulldogs regained their two-run lead in the seventh. Brandon singled, Allen was hit by a pitch and Robinson beat out a high chopper to short, loading the bases. Rich Olsen replaced Bauer on the mound for UH at this point. He gave up a run-scoring grounder to Humphreys, then fanned Tabor to end the inning.
Brian Bock opened the eighth with the 'Bows' third hit off Lockwood, a double off the left-field wall, but was still at second when the inning ended. Green grounded out to short and Omura and Finegan lofted easy fly balls to center.
Louisiana Tech 3, Hawaii 1
L. Tech (17-29) AB R H Hawaii (26-24) AB R H BI Haygood 2b 5 0 1 0 Finegan ss 3 0 0 0 Brandon cf 4 1 3 0 Sansaver 1b 4 0 0 1 Allen rf 4 0 2 0 Cook 3b 4 0 0 0 Robinson ss 5 1 2 0 Mendoza lf 4 0 0 0 Humphreys 1b 4 0 2 1 Russo dh 2 0 0 0 Tabor dh 4 0 0 0 Inouye cf 3 0 0 0 Walker lf 2 0 0 0 Bock c 3 0 1 0 Alford pr/lf 1 1 0 0 Green rf 3 1 0 0 Jackson c 4 0 1 1 Omura 2b 3 0 2 0 Wood 3b 4 0 1 0 Total 37 3 12 2 Total 29 1 3 1 Louisiana Tech 000 002 100 -- 3 12 1
Hawaii 000 001 000 -- 1 3 1
E -- Haygood; Finegan. DP-- Hawaii 2. LOB -- Tech 10; Hawaii 3. 2B--Brandon; Robinson; Jackson; Bock. HBP-- Brandon; Allen Walker. SH -- Finegan. SB-- Allen; Alford. CS -- Walker.
Louisiana Tech IP H R ER BB SO Lockwood (W, 3-3) 9.0 3 1 0 1 4 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Bauer (L, 3-5) 6.1 11 3 3 0 2 Olsen 2.2 1 0 0 0 2 HBP -- by Bauer (Brandon); by Bauer (Walker); by Bauer (Allen). Umpires -- HP: Gus Rodriguez, 1B: Jim LeBeau, 3B: Ron Ridd. T --2:15. A -- 1,553.
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WAC standings
WAC games Overall W L Pct. GB W L Rice 20 2 .909 -- 42 7 Nevada 15 6 .714 4.5 28 20 Fresno State 10 12 .455 10.0 25 25 x-Louisiana Tech 9 16 .360 12.5 17 30 San Jose State 7 14 .333 12.5 22 27 Hawaii 7 18 .280 14.5 26 24 x-also has one nonconference tie
Yesterday
Louisiana Tech 3, Hawaii 1
Fresno State 7, San Jose State 5
Rice 13, Nevada 11Today
Louisiana Tech at Hawaii, 6:35 p.m.
San Jose State at Fresno State
Rice at NevadaTomorrow
Louisiana Tech at Hawaii, 1:05 p.m.
San Jose State at Fresno State
Rice at Nevada
