Wright blanks Aggies

The Rainbows' ace allows only three hits to help UH open the WAC series with a win

The Hawaii Rainbows scored five of their six runs with two outs to defeat New Mexico State 6-0 last night in the opener of a three-game Western Athletic Conference baseball series in front of 1,448 fans at Les Murakami Stadium.

Hawaii   NMSU 6 0 Next up vs. NMSU, today

Steven Wright and Tyler Davis combined on the four-hit shutout, the first time the Aggies have been blanked this season.

Wright won his third consecutive game to improve to 7-2. He allowed three hits last night and has given up just 14 in his last 21 innings of work.

"Mainly, I dominated with the fastball. I lived on the outside (of the plate) the first few innings. They figured out what I was doing and we had to change the approach," said Wright after five consecutive Aggies hit the ball to right field in the fifth inning.

"I had to come inside more. I think you could count all the changeups I threw on your fingers and toes."

Hawaii (28-11 overall, 6-5 WAC) loaded the bases in the first inning with no outs, but settled for one run. Derek DuPree walked, Jon Hee was hit by a pitch from NMSU starter Kyle McFadden and Justin Frash walked. DuPree scored on Luis Avila's sacrifice fly to left.

After a wild pitch advanced the runners a base, McFadden prevented further damage by striking out Matt Inouye and retiring Esteban Lopez on a grounder to third.

Hawaii squandered a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the second. NMSU catcher Brandon Lance picked Kris Sanchez off third and McFadden got DuPree to hit into a fielder's choice before striking out Hee on a 3-2 pitch.

"It was frustrating that we never adjusted to McFadden and his split-rhythm curveball. It's disappointing because we should have after the first time through the lineup," UH coach Mike Trapasso said.

Retired quietly in the third and fourth innings and quickly down to two outs in the fifth, the Rainbows suddenly found some life.

Frash squibbed a ball down the third-base line that went for an infield single. He took second on a passed ball. Avila walked. Inouye singled to center, scoring Frash and sending Avila to third. Inouye stole second. Lopez followed with a two-run double to left-center field to give UH a 4-0 lead.

New Mexico State (14-27, 1-9) put two runners aboard in the seventh on a walk and a hit batter. That prompted a mound visit from Trapasso.

"He asked me if I was OK and I told him I just let one get away that hit the guy. My job is to throw strikes," Wright said.

Wright fanned 11, the fourth time this season he has reached double-figure strikeouts. He also walked two and hit a batter in his seven innings of work.

Junior right-hander Davis took over in the eighth inning and retired the side in order on eight pitches.

The 'Bows increased their comfort level in the bottom of the inning by loading the bases with two outs.

Eli Christensen singled to center and took second on DuPree's bloop single to left. Frash walked on a 3-2 pitch. Avila grounded a 1-1 pitch to center, scoring Christensen and DuPree.

"They had been working me offspeed all night, so I was looking for something offspeed. It was a curve or slider," Avila said.

Davis did give up a two-out double to Patrick Fields in the ninth, but got Mark Montgomery on a grounder to Avila at first for the final out.

"Tyler gave us what we needed. He threw strikes early in the count," Trapasso said.

The series continues today at 5:30 p.m. Right-hander Justin Costi (4-1, 4.78) will start for UH, while right-hander Jason Conner (2-2, 5.86) will be on the mound for the Aggies.

Notes: Joe Spiers twisted his right ankle in warm-ups and missed the game. Robbie Wilder and Jorge Franco were sidelined with the flu.

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