[ RAINBOW BASEBALL ]
RONEN ZILBERMAN / RZILBERMAN@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii starting pitcher Clary Carlsen picked up the win after working seven innings last night against Oregon State.
’Bows best bumbling
Beavers for title
Hawaii played opportunistic baseball last night to defeat Oregon State 7-3 in the championship game of the First Hawaii Title Rainbow Baseball Tournament.
A crowd of 1,568 at Murakami Stadium watched the Rainbows defend their title. UH went 5-0 in the tournament and Oregon State finished 2-3.
Senior right-hander Clary Carlsen pitched the first seven innings. He allowed 10 hits, but struck out a season-high seven and induced three double-play balls to even his record at 3-3.
Every Rainbow in the starting lineup had a hit, with Greg Kish and Jaziel Mendoza, whose two-run homer put the 'Bows (14-7) ahead for good in the first inning, collecting two hits apiece.
"We pretty much all night had things going our way. Balls we falling in and we got after it early," said UH coach Mike Trapasso. "Clary (Carlsen) was throwing well and (Darrell) Fisherbaugh was outstanding at the end again."
The Beavers (10-4), ranked No. 20 by Collegiate Baseball, took advantage of a two-base error in the first inning by left fielder Mendoza on Chris Campos' fly ball that advanced Jacoby Ellsbury to third. Ellsbury, who opened the game with a ground single just inside the third-base bag, scored on Shea McFeely's groundout for a 1-0 OSU lead.
Mendoza made up for the bobble in the bottom of the inning by drilling a one-ball pitch from Beavers starter Andy Baldwin over the center-field fence just to the left of the scoreboard. Kish, on board with an infield single, also scored for a 2-1 Hawaii lead.
The Rainbows used two huge mistakes -- both stemming from the Beavers not being able to catch the ball -- to score four unearned runs in the second inning.
With Creighton Kahoali'i on second and two out, Kish struck out swinging, but OSU catcher Billy Munich could not hold on to the sharp breaking pitch and the ball rolled about 15 feet to the right of the plate. Munich retrieved, but his throw to first baseman Scott Nelson was wide, allowing Kish to reach safely as Kahoali'i moved to third. Matt Inouye then flared a double into left-center field scoring Kahoali'i, with Kish stopping at third.
Mendoza was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Rocky Russo hit a 3-2 pitch sharply to third, where McFeely bobbled once, then floated a throw to first that Nelson couldn't hold, and the ball trickled into foul territory. With Baldwin pitching from the full windup, the UH runners were off with the pitch and scored easily, giving the 'Bows a 6-1 lead.
Russo, named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after being put back in the lineup at third base to start the tournament, said, "It feels great. Everything has been going great. I feel comfortable at the plate and in the field."
The Beavers threatened with no outs in the fifth when Ellsbury singled and Mike Lissman was safe when Russo misplayed his ground ball at third. Carlsen then got Campos to hit into a double play and fanned McFeely to end the inning.
Mathews and Tony Calderon singled on the first two pitches of the sixth. Mathews would score to cut the UH lead to 7-3 when Carlsen induced Gillespie to hit into a double play.
Carlsen retired the Beavers in order in the seventh. But, in the eighth, he walked Campos on a full count and gave up a single to McFeely on the first pitch. Trapasso had seen enough and brought Fisherbaugh in from the bullpen.
"I thought we were going to get Clary in the sixth inning. He was tired, but we've found out when he gets tired he tends to stay within himself better, pitch better and he gets more movement on his pitches," said Trapasso.
Fisherbaugh faced four hitters and recorded a strikeout, lineout to center, a walk and another strikeout to keep the Beavers from scoring. He then fanned the side in the ninth to earn his second save of the season.
The Citadel 11, Chicago State 3: The Bulldogs (5-6, 3-2) broke open a one-run game with a seven-run, eighth inning to take third place. Josh Stackley and Chip Cannon each drove in three teammates for The Citadel.
Joe Perez had two hits for the Cougars (0-8, 0-5).
Hawaii 7, Oregon State 3
E--Nelson; Mendoza; Russo. DP--Hawaii 3. LOB--OSU 8, Hawaii 10. 2B--Inouye; Sansaver. HR--Mendoza. SH--Magana. SB--Gillespie; Richie; Kish; Mendoza.
OSU AB R H BI Hawaii AB R H BI Ellsbury rf 5 1 3 0 Finegan ss 5 0 2 0 Lissman lf 3 0 1 0 Kish rf/lf 5 2 1 0 Graham lf 2 0 0 0 Inouye cf 5 1 1 1 Campos dh 3 0 0 0 Mendoza lf 2 2 1 2 McFeely 3b 4 0 2 1 Green rf 1 0 0 0 Mathews cf 4 2 2 0 Russo 3b 4 1 1 0 Calderon ss 4 0 1 0 Sansaver 1b 3 0 1 0 Nelson 1b 1 0 0 0 Thurber dh 4 0 1 1 Gillespie 1b 2 0 1 0 Kahoali'i c 4 1 2 0 Hass ph 0 0 0 0 Magana 2b 3 0 1 0 Jenkins 1b 0 0 0 0 Munich c 0 0 0 0 Richie c 4 0 0 0 Kunda 2b 3 0 0 0 Hernandez ph 1 0 0 0 Totals 36 3 10 1 Totals 36 7 11 4 OSU (10-4) 100 101 000 -- 3 10 1 Hawaii (14-7) 240 100 00x -- 7 11 2
PB--Munich; Kahoali'i 2. Umpires--Don Groman (home), Gary Montalbo Jr. (first), Keoki Torres (third). T--3:05. A--1,568
OSU IP H R ER BB SO Baldwin (L, 2-2) 4.0 9 7 3 3 5 McCormick 1.2 0 0 0 1 1 Gunderson 2.1 2 0 0 0 3 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Carlsen (W, 3-3) 7.0 9 3 1 1 7 Fisherbaugh (S, 2) 2.0 1 0 0 1 5
All-tournament team
Most Outstanding Player -- Rocky Russo, Hawaii
Most Outstanding Pitcher -- Rickey Bauer, Hawaii
IF: Chip Cannon, Citadel; Chris Kunda, Oregon St.; Andrew Sansaver, Hawaii; Shea McFeely, Oregon St.
OF: Josh Stackley, Citadel; Jacoby Ellsbury, Oregon St.; Greg Kish, Hawaii
C: Matt Inouye, Hawaii
P: Jonathan Ellis, Citadel; Steven Wright, Hawaii
DH: Nate Thurber, Hawaii
