Rainbows lose
finale, but
stay upbeatHawaii finishes coach Trapasso's
second season four games above .500WAC standings
SAN JOSE, Calif. >> Despite a season-ending loss yesterday, Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso and the Rainbows returned home last night happy with what they had accomplished in 2003.
The San Jose State Spartans used a five-run, sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie and go on to defeat UH 8-5 in the final Western Athletic Conference game of the year.
Hawaii (30-26, 11-19 WAC) concludes its second campaign under Trapasso with a 14-game turnaround in the win column and a fourth-place finish in the WAC standings, up two spots from a year ago.
"It was just a situation where we didn't pitch very well in two innings," said Trapasso.
Things started to go wrong in the fourth for UH starter Keahi Rawlins when he hit SJSU (25-32, 10-19 WAC) lead-off batter Kevin Frandsen with a pitch, the fifth time Frandsen was plunked in the series. Plate umpire Rich Padilla issued a warning to the benches.
"Keahi got shook when he hit Frandsen and for the rest of the inning he started aiming the ball," said Trapasso. "We're leading 1-0, the count is 0-2 and we try to go inside on Frandsen because that's how we got him out all series. The umpire comes out and gives a warning saying he doesn't want things to get out of hand. It was an absolutely amazing call."
"So now if we hit someone, the pitcher is out. Frandsen dives into the plate and our strength is burying the ball under his hands. We were left with trying to go outside."
That would prove crucial later in the sixth inning.
The Spartans scored three runs in the fourth, but Rocky Russo's two-run homer over the center-field wall tied the score at 3 in the top of the sixth.
But, in the bottom of the inning, an error by Brent Cook at third and a walk put two Spartans on base and ended Rawlins' day. Right-hander Guy McDowell took over, only to have Ruben Martinez beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt toward third for an infield single, loading the bases.
The 'Bows, with the infield drawn in, got two forceouts at home on ground balls on both sides of David Pierson's bloop single to right that scored a run to break the tie. Then, with another 0-2 count on Frandsen, the SJSU third baseman delivered a three-run double down the right-field line on a waste pitch.
"He just stuck the bat out trying to foul the pitch off," said Trapasso. "It wasn't a bad pitch, but it was perfect placement on his part. Give him credit because it was a great piece of hitting."
Solo home runs by Cook and Tim Montgomery in the eighth closed the gap a bit for Hawaii, but SJSU reliever Andy Cook got a double-play ball off Brent Cook's bat to end the game after giving the 'Bows hope by walking two batters in the ninth.
San Jose State 8, Hawaii 5
Hawaii AB R H BI San Jose St. AB R H BI Finegan ss 3 0 0 0 Pierson 2b 4 1 1 1 Magana ss 2 0 0 0 Corrick cf 5 1 0 0 Sansaver 1b 4 0 0 0 Frandsen 3b 3 2 1 3 Cook 3b 5 2 3 1 Bergstrom 1b 4 1 1 1 Russo dh 4 1 2 2 King lf 4 1 1 1 Montgomery cf 4 1 2 1 Bates c 3 0 1 1 Bock c 4 0 1 0 Heuerman rf 2 1 0 1 Gilbride rf 4 1 3 0 Martinez dh 4 0 3 0 Russell 2b 2 0 0 0 Contreras ss 4 1 0 0 Guillen lf 3 0 0 1 Total 35 5 11 5 Total 33 8 8 8
Hawaii 001 002 020 -- 5 11 2 San Jose St. 000 305 00x -- 8 8 0 E -- Cook (10), Russell (1). DP--SJSU 2. LOB -- Hawaii 7, San Jose State 8.
2B--Frandsen (15), King (9). HR--Cook (4), Russo (5), Montgomery (9). SH -- Russell (1), Heurerman (9). SB--Cook (14).
Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Rawlins (L. 5-5) 5 3 5 5 5 1 McDowell 2 5 3 3 0 2 Lee 1 0 0 0 0 0
San Jose State IP H R ER BB SO Esposito (W, 2-4) 7 2/3 9 5 4 1 5 Cook (S, 6) 1 1/3 2 0 0 2 2 Rawlins pitched to two batters in the sixth.
HBP--Frandsen (by Rawlins). BK--Esposito(2). PB--Bates ( 7).
Umpires -- Home: Rich Padilla. First: Ted Kovach. Third: Rob Francheshellio.
T --2.41. A -- 606.
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WAC standings
WAC games Overall W L Pct. GB W L x-Rice 25 5 .833 -- 48 10 Nevada 19 10 .655 5 1/2 32 24 Fresno State 14 16 .467 11 31 28 Hawaii 11 19 .367 14 30 26 San Jose State 10 19 .345 14 1/2 25 32 y-Louisiana Tech 10 20 .333 15 18 34 x-clinched league title
y-has one nonconference tieYesterday
San Jose State 8, Hawaii 5
Rice 5, Fresno State 1
Nevada 14, Louisiana Tech 3End regular season
UH Athletics
