[ RAINBOW BASEBALL ]
Hawaii's Jaziel Mendoza slid safely at home plate in front of Rice catcher Adam Rodgers last night at Murakami Stadium.
Rainbows frustrate
Owls againUH scores in the bottom of
the ninth to win a series vs. Rice
for the first time in three years
The Hawaii Rainbows won their first conference series over Rice since 2001 after Josh Green drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning that forced pinch runner Andrew Castillo home with the decisive run.
This is the first time the Owls have lost consecutive games in 2004 and it is the third consecutive win over the defending national champions for UH (29-16 overall, 12-8 WAC).
Guy McDowell earned the victory in the 6-5 win in the second game of the Western Athletic Conference series last night at Murakami Stadium. He allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
The Owls (34-9, 16-3) had won 27 consecutive series against WAC opponents dating back to 2001.
Isaac Omura and Greg Kish walked to start the ninth against Rice reliever Adam Hale. Schafer Magana was safe at first after catcher Adam Rodgers' throw pulled Matt Ueckert off the base, loading the bases. One out later, Green walked on a 3-2 pitch that was outside to the left-handed hitter.
Brian Finegan gave the largest crowd (3,469) of the season an exciting moment when he belted the second pitch from Rice starter Wade Townsend over the center-field fence just to the right of the 385-foot sign. It was the senior shortstop's second homer of the season.
Townsend quickly quieted the Rainbow faithful by striking out the side and retiring nine UH batters in order, seven via strikeout.
Clay Reichenbach and Chris Kolkhorst singled off UH starter Stephen Bryant to start the third, an inning that saw the Owls take a 3-1 lead. The runners moved up a base on a wild pitch; a swinging strike three to Lance Pendleton.
Reichenbach scored and Kolkhorst took third on Austin Davis' groundout. Kolkhorst scored on a wild pitch that was ball four to Paul Janish. After Janish stole second, he scored when Rodgers rolled an RBI single into right field.
Andrew Sansaver broke Townsend's spell with a single to center to start the fourth inning. Two pitches later, Matt Inouye lifted a 2-0 offering from Townsend over both fences in left center to pull UH into a 3-3 tie. It was Inouye's third homer of the season.
Jaziel Mendoza followed with a line double into the right-field corner. He took third on a single to left by Kish and scored on Magana's ground ball to first.
"The fourth inning showed that our kids are not going to back down," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "They were facing a dominant pitcher and you take your strikeouts, but we were able to adjust and hit the ball hard in that inning. I thought from the fourth inning on the crowd was really with us and was a big help in the ninth."
The 4-3 lead did not last long, as the Owls tied the score in the fifth. Davis singled on a ball UH second baseman Isaac Omura knocked down behind the bag but could not control. Davis moved to second when Janish walked for the third consecutive time and scored on a single to left by Rodgers.
The 'Bows regained the lead (5-4) with two down in the bottom of the inning.
Sansaver singled to right after fouling off three pitches with a full count. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Inouye's bloop fly ball into left field.
The Owls mounted a threat in the seventh when Reichenbach walked to start the inning. After Bryant's first two pitches to Kolkhorst were balls, Trapasso summoned Darrell Fisherbaugh from the bullpen. Kolkhorst beat out a sacrifice bunt for a single.
Matt Cavanaugh pinch-ran for Reichenbach and Pendleton's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners a base, but Cavanaugh was thrown out at home trying to score on Davis' grounder to second and Janish flied to center to end the inning.
"I did not have my changeup and that hurt, but they hit a lot of good pitches," Bryant said.
Rice put the pressure on again in the eighth after Josh Rodriguez walked with one out and stopped at second on Ueckert's single to right. After throwing two balls to Adam Hale, Fisherbaugh was relieved by McDowell.
McDowell completed the walk to Hale, loading the bases, then hit Adam Morris with a 2-1 pitch to force home Rodriguez with the tying run.
"The second day you have to dig a little deeper," McDowell said. "My (right) elbow was dropping and when that happens, my ball runs. That's what happened when I hit the batter. I realized what was happening and made an adjustment after that."
Kolkhorst then hit a bouncer to Omura, who threw home for the force out on Ueckert for the second out. UH turned a double play after Hale rounded third too far and was out as Inouye's throw to Magana was in time.
"We got a break there and it was big that Fisherbaugh could put up a zero in the seventh," Trapasso said.
Note: Senior catcher Creighton Kahoali'i suffered torn ligaments around his right knee sliding into third base in the second inning of Friday night's game. The transfer from California is most likely out for the season. ... Last night was the first sellout at Murakami Stadium since 1998.
WAC standings
Conference All games W L Pct. GB W L Pct. Rice 16 3 .842 -- 34 9 .791 Hawaii 12 8 .600 4 1/2 29 16 .644 Nevada 11 9 .550 5 1/2 26 22 .542 Fresno State 10 10 .500 6 1/2 22 27 .449 San Jose State 7 16 .304 11 19 28 .406 Louisiana Tech 6 16 .273 11 1/2 15 33 .313 San Jose State has one non-conference tie.
Yesterday
Nevada 11, Louisiana Tech 2
Fresno St. 14, San Jose St. 4
Hawaii 6, Rice 5
Today
Louisiana Tech at Nevada
San Jose St. at Fresno St.
Rice at Hawaii, 1:05 p.m.
Hawaii 6, Rice 5
Rice AB R H BI Hawaii AB R H BI Kolkhorst cf 4 1 2 0 Finegan ss 4 1 1 1 Pendleton rf 4 0 0 0 Sansaver 1b 3 2 2 0 Davis lf 5 0 1 1 Inouye c 4 1 2 3 Janish ss 1 1 0 0 Mendoza rf 4 1 1 0 Rodgers c 5 0 2 2 Omura 2b 3 0 0 0 Rodriguez 2b 3 1 0 0 Castillo pr 0 1 0 0 Ueckert 1b 4 0 1 0 Kish dh 3 0 1 0 Hale dh/p 3 0 0 0 Magana 3b 3 0 0 1 Reichnbch 3b 2 1 1 0 Thurber lf 4 0 2 0 Cavanaugh pr 0 0 0 0 Green cf 3 0 0 1 Morris 3b 0 0 0 1 Totals 31 5 7 4 Totals 31 6 9 6 Rice 003 010 010 -- 5 7 1 Hawaii 100 310 001 -- 6 9 1 E--Rodgers, Finegan. DP--Rice 1, Hawaii 2. LOB--Rice 9, Hawaii 5. 2B--Mendoza, Thurber. HR--Finegan, Inouye. SH--Pendleton, Magana. SB--Janish.
Rice IP H R ER BB SO Townsend 8 9 5 5 1 10 Hale (L, 1-2) 0.1 0 1 0 3 0 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Bryant 6 5 4 4 4 6 Fisherbaugh 1.1 2 1 1 2 0 McDowell (W, 3-1) 1.2 0 0 0 1 1 WP--Townsend, Bryant 2. HBP--by Bryant (Kolkhorst), by McDowell (Morris). Umpires--Gary Montalbo (home), Kelly Gonzales (first), Billy Speck (third).
T--3:04. A--3,469.
