[ RAINBOW BASEBALL ]
Hawaii ends skid
against OwlsUH had lost 14 straight to the
defending WAC and national
champs
HOUSTON » The Hawaii baseball team ended two-plus years of frustration yesterday by turning its five hits into five runs, enough to end a 14-game losing streak to the Rice Owls.
The 'Bows used an uncharacteristic outing by Rice starter Josh Baker to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning en route to the 5-3 Western Athletic Conference victory over the defending league and national champions.
It was the first UH win at Reckling Park since the 2001 season.
"We will let the players feel good tonight, then tomorrow we have to start thinking about Louisiana Tech," UH coach Mike Trapasso said.
Hawaii continues the road trip against the Bulldogs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Yesterday, the Rainbows played errorless defense. That helped starter Clary Carlsen, who gave up 10 hits, survive into the sixth inning.
The Rainbows executed well in the first inning and the result was the quick lead.
Brian Finegan walked to start the game. On Greg Kish's sacrifice bunt, both runners were safe when Finegan beat Baker's throw to second base. Matt Inouye moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt up the third-base line.
Jaziel Mendoza then beat out a slow roller to the right of Rice first baseman Matt Ueckert. Finegan scored and Kish moved to third. Kish scored on Rocky Russo's sacrifice fly to left.
Mendoza took second on a wild pitch and scored when Andrew Sansaver lined a full-count pitch to left for an RBI single.
"We did, frankly, what we didn't do the first two days. We executed, got a Rainbow hit (Sansaver's single). We moved the runners up and got the two-out hit," Trapasso said. "We got some momentum and Clary was Clary. He kept us in the game, gave up some hits, but always had the pitch when he needed it. And Darrell Fisherbaugh was outstanding again."
Carlsen got off to a shaky start in the bottom of the first by hitting the first two Rice batters, but, after a visit from UH pitching coach Chad Konishi, retired the next three batters without allowing a run.
Baker hit Creighton Kahoali'i with a pitch and walked Isaac Omura on four pitches to start the second. Kish's one-out single to left sent Kahoali'i home for a 4-0 UH lead.
When Baker got behind on the count to Inouye, Rice coach Wayne Graham called in from the bullpen Wade Townsend, who prevented further scoring by fanning Inouye and getting Mendoza on a grounder to first. Townsend would retire 11 consecutive 'Bows before Russo doubled to start the sixth. He would take third on an error and score on a fielder's choice.
The Owls got one run back in the bottom of the inning on a double to right by Matt Morris, a groundout and Matt Moake's single to right.
The UH defense turned in an unusual, run-preventing double play in the fifth.
Ueckert started the inning with a single. One out later, Adam Rodgers singled to center, but Inouye's throw to Finegan was in time to keep Rodgers from stretching the hit into a double. Ueckert, trying to catch the 'Bows napping, tried to score on the play, but Finegan's throw to Kahoali'i was in time to complete the twin killing.
Rice did cut the UH lead to 5-3 in the sixth and knock Carlsen out of the game in the process, but Fisherbaugh provided game-closing relief for the Rainbows.
It was a good thing because Townsend held the 'Bows to two hits and one earned run over the final 7 2/3 innings.
"I didn't want to use Darrell that early. He did leave one pitch up, but he had that action and that sink on his changeup. Rather than getting strikeouts, he was getting them to hit the ball on the ground," Trapasso said.
"Rice has an amazing pitching staff. We will see someone similar in Matt Durkin (San Jose State), but no one else in our league is like those guys."
Notes: Astronaut Dr. Edward Lu, who considers Honolulu and Webster, N.Y., his hometowns and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Astronomy in Honolulu, is hosting the Rainbows at the Johnson Space Center tomorrow. ... Kish, 4-for-10 against Rice, has a nine-game hitting streak.
WAC standings
Yesterday
Conference All games W L Pct. GB W L Pct. Rice 5 1 .833 -- 16 6 .727 Nevada 0 0 -- 2 11 12 .478 Fresno State 0 0 -- 2 12 16 .429 Hawaii 1 2 .333 2 1/2 15 9 .625 San Jose State 2 4 .333 3 12 11 .522 Louisiana Tech 1 2 .333 2 1/2 10 16 .385
Hawaii 5, Rice 3
San Jose State 4, Louisiana Tech 3 (11)
Nevada 9, Lewis-Clark State 8
Cal State Fullerton 12, Fresno State 9 (10)
Thursday
Hawaii at Louisiana Tech
Friday
Hawaii at Louisiana Tech
San Jose State at Nevada
Fresno State at Rice
Saturday
Hawaii at Louisiana Tech
San Jose State at Nevada
Fresno State at Rice
Sunday
San Jose State at Nevada
Fresno State at Rice
Hawaii 5, Rice 3
E--Moake (3). DP--Rice 1. LOB--Hawaii 5, Rice 10. 2B--Russo (3), Janish (8), Morris (5). SH--Kish (3), Inouye (3). SF--Russo (4).
Hawaii AB R H BI Rice AB R H BI Finegan ss 4 1 0 0 Kolkhorst cf 3 0 1 0 Kish lf 3 1 1 1 Rodriguez 2b 1 0 0 0 Inouye cf 3 0 0 0 Janish ss 4 0 2 2 Mendoza dh 4 1 1 1 Ueckert 1b 5 0 1 0 Russo 3b 3 1 1 1 Davis lf 5 0 0 0 Sansaver 1b 4 0 2 1 Rodgers dh 4 0 2 0 Green rf 4 0 0 0 Pendleton rf/cf 3 1 1 0 Kahoali'i c 3 1 0 1 Morris 3b 4 1 1 0 Omura 2b 3 0 0 0 Reagan c 4 1 2 0 Magana 2b 0 0 0 0 Moake 2b 2 0 1 1 Hale ph/rf 2 0 1 0 Totals 31 5 5 5 Totals 37 3 12 3 Hawaii 310 001 000 -- 5 5 0 Rice 010 002 000 -- 3 12 1
HPB--by Carlsen (Kolkhorst); by Carlsen (Janish); by Baker (Kahoali'i). Umpires--Ken Eldridge (home), Jim Garman (first), Danny Mascorro (third). T--2:51. A--2,995.
Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Carlsen (W, 4-3) 5.1 10 3 3 1 3 Fisherbaugh (S, 3) 3.2 2 0 0 0 3 Rice IP H R ER BB SO Baker (L, 3-2) 1.1 3 4 4 2 1 Townsend 7.2 2 1 0 0 9