[ RAINBOW BASEBALL ]
Rodriguez stifles
RainbowsA win gives Nevada a season
series split with Hawaii
Freshman right-hander Ryan Rodriguez defeated Hawaii for the second time this season and Nevada avoided its first losing season ever at Peccole Park.
The Wolf Pack used the long ball in the 10-3 Western Athletic Conference baseball victory in Reno, Nev., yesterday, improving to 15-14 at home.
Nevada (30-26 overall, 14-13 WAC) won the series 2-1 and earned a split of the six games against UH this season.
The Wolf Pack scored their first five runs on extra-base hits.
Rodriguez, the winner in the series finale at Murakami Stadium, held the Rainbows (30-21, 13-13) to one run through six innings, while his teammates built a 7-1 lead off UH starter Clary Carlsen.
Hawaii did connect for seven hits and received a walk off Rodriguez in the first six innings, but the 'Bows were unable to deliver key hits and stranded 10 baserunners for the game.
"Rodriguez really pitched well," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He kept us off stride with off-speed stuff and then came with a fastball that touched 90 (mph) at times.
"We had a couple of opportunities, but kind of shot ourselves in the foot with base-running mistakes. The truth is, Nevada played well and we just got beat."
Six Nevada runners reached base via a walk, hit batter or error scored.
"Every mistake we made, they made us pay for it," Trapasso said. "It is one thing to give up runs at a place like this, but you can't do it by giving up freebies. Then you give up a homer, start nibbling at the strike zone, fall behind on the count and you're in trouble."
The Wolf Pack took a 2-0 lead in the first on Jacob Butler's double off the right-field wall. The first-pitch blast by Nevada's leading hitter and No. 3 batter sent home Brian Gazerro, on with a walk, and Brett Hayes, who reached on a bloop single to right.
Hayes' eighth home run of the season to open the third put Nevada up 3-0 in the third.
Hawaii got on the scoreboard in the fourth on Jaziel Mendoza's leadoff double and Rocky Russo's single to center.
Robert Marcial's two-run homer in the bottom of the inning pushed Nevada's lead to 5-1, and two more runs in the sixth gave the Wolf Pack a 7-1 advantage.
Hawaii loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, but Finegan lined into a double play to blunt a possible big inning, although Greg Kish and Matt Inouye did deliver run-scoring singles for Hawaii's final runs.
Hawaii plays a nonconference game at Pacific (20-33) in Stockton, Calif., tomorrow. Trapasso will not decide on a starting pitcher until just before the game starts.
The game will be broadcast on KKEA 1420-AM starting with the coaches show at 7:50 a.m.
Notes: The Tigers have two players from Hawaii, junior outfielder Nicholas Sekiya (Punahou) and freshman right-hander Davin Nakasone (Pearl City), on their roster. Sekiya hit his second home run of the season in Pacific's 23-4 loss to Cal State Northridge yesterday.
WAC Standings
Conference All games W L Pct. GB W L Pct. x-Rice 21 5 .808 -- 40 11 .784 Fresno State 14 12 .538 7 26 29 .473 Nevada 14 13 .519 7 1/2 30 26 .536 Hawaii 13 13 .500 8 30 21 .588 Louisiana Tech 9 17 .346 12 19 35 .352 San Jose State 8 19 .296 13 1/2 20 31 .404 x-clinched WAC title
San Jose State has one non-conference tie.Yesterday
Nevada 10, Hawaii 3
Fresno St. 11, Rice 4
Nevada 10, Hawaii 3
Hawaii AB R H BI Nevada AB R H BI Finegan ss 5 0 1 0 Gazerro cf 3 1 1 1 Kish rf 5 0 1 1 Hayes c 4 2 3 2 Inouye c 4 0 2 1 Butler rf 5 0 1 2 Mendoza lf 5 1 2 0 Mercer 3b 4 0 1 0 Russo dh 4 0 1 1 Newman 2b 1 0 0 0 Sansaver 1b 4 0 0 0 Gimenez lf 3 1 1 0 Omura 2b 3 1 1 0 Krukow dh 4 1 0 0 Magana 3b 2 1 1 0 Streelman 1b 2 2 0 0 Green cf 4 0 1 0 Madrid 2b3b 3 1 1 0 Marcial ss 3 2 2 4 Totals 36 3 10 3 Totals 32 10 10 9 Hawaii 000 100 200 -- 3 10 2 Nevada 201 202 30x -- 10 10 2 E--Finegan (14), Carlsen (1), Madrid 2 (11). DP--Hawaii 1, Nevada 2. LOB--Hawaii 10, Nevada 8. 2B--Mendoza (9), Butler (13). 3B--Inouye (1). HR--Hayes (8), Marcial (5). SH--Streelman (5), Madrid (4), Marcial (8). SB--Gimenez (6), Marcial (6).
Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Carlsen (L, 6-7) 6 2/3 10 10 8 3 1 Wright 1 1/3 0 0 0 2 3 Nevada IP H R ER BB SO Rodriguez (W, 5-7) 6 2/3 9 3 3 2 4 Harbaugh (S, 1) 2 1/3 1 0 0 1 2 WP--Wright (7). HBP--by Carlsen (Gimenez), by Carlsen (Streelman), by Rodriguez (Magana). BK--Rodriguez (3). Umpires--Ray Belfiore (home), Chad McCardell (first), Dan Payne (third).
T--2:55. A--1,558.