’Bows blank Bulldogs to advance

Steven Wright strikes out 13 to lead Hawaii to an 8-0 victory in its WAC tournament opener

FRESNO, Calif. » Steven Wright felt good in the first inning yesterday, but was not sharp and gave up two of the four hits he allowed the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in his eight-inning outing.

WAC Baseball Tournament All times Hawaii time Where: Beiden Field, Fresno, Calif. When: Through Sunday Radio: All UH games live, KKEA, 1420-AM Web: www.wac.org (live audio and video of all games) yesterday » Hawaii 8, Louisiana Tech 0 » Nevada 15, San Jose State 1 » Fresno State 10, Sacramento State 2 Today » Fresno State vs. San Jose State, 8 a.m. » Sacramento State vs. Louisiana Tech, noon » Hawaii vs. Nevada, 4 p.m.

Fortunately for the Hawaii Rainbows, the junior right-hander discussed the situation with catcher Esteban Lopez before the second inning, and things clicked quite efficiently after that.

Wright struck out 13 and received solid offensive support as Hawaii defeated LaTech 8-0 yesterday in the opening game of the Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament at Pete Beiden Field.

The second-seeded Rainbows (41-13) play fourth-seeded Nevada (25-26) in a second-round game of the double-elimination tournament today at 4 p.m. Hawaii time.

"I knew I didn't have my best stuff in the first inning. I was trying to overthrow," Wright said. "Este and I talked and we decided to just go out there and be a bulldog with the fastball and keep the ball down.

"That helped my mechanics get better. I got into a rhythm and luckily I got some strikeouts after that."

Wright's 13 whiffs ties his season high set against Western Illinois on March 10.

Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso also was concerned early and wondered if Wright's tank was empty in the first inning.

"Steven was only throwing 84-85 (mph) and he was up in the zone," Trapasso said. "Then (LaTech starter) Luke Burnett comes out and dominates us in the bottom of the inning. I'm thinking, 'This could be an interesting game.' "

Wright gave up a two-out single in the third to Adam Cobb and a one-out, ground-rule double to Brian Rike in the eighth. Rike was the only Bulldog to reach second base all game.

"I worked my fastball most of the game. Once I got good location with the fastball, I could work off that with my other pitches," Wright said.

He was able to catch several Bulldogs by surprise with a well-timed changeup.

After 123 pitches on a warm, cloudless day, Wright turned the ball over to Tyler Davis in the ninth. Davis retired the side in order on three ground balls.

Burnett fanned two 'Bows in the first inning, but only three more over the next 5 2/3 innings. In two starts during the regular season, the Rainbows got just eight hits off Burnett. Yesterday they collected nine.

"We had a good approach at the plate off a very good pitcher," Trapasso said. "We were able to get the front foot down, see the ball, keep our swings short and hit to all fields. We also had a good approach with two strikes."

Six of the first seven hits off Burnett came after the 6-foot-8 freshman right-hander had thrown two strikes.

Matt Inouye had the first hit off Burnett with a one-out single down the right-field line in the second. Lopez bounced a 2-2 pitch over the right-field fence at the 370-foot sign for a ground-rule double, sending Inouye to third. He scored on Eli Christensen's sacrifice fly to center for 1-0 UH lead.

Hawaii increased its lead to 3-0 in the fourth when Justin Frash, Luis Avila and Inouye began the inning with consecutive singles. Frash came home on Inouye's line shot to left, and Avila, who stopped at third, scored on Lopez's sacrifice fly to the warning track in center.

Avila upped the lead to 4-0 in the sixth inning. With two outs, the UH first baseman drove a 1-2 pitch from Burnett well beyond the left-field wall for his team-leading eighth home run of the season.

"I was looking for an offspeed pitch. He hung the next one and I was waiting for it," Avila said. "It helped that we had seen him (Burnett) before. We were more comfortable today."

The 'Bows added four more runs in the eighth off reliever Steve Alverson. Inouye singled home one, another scored on a throwing error by second baseman Amos Ramon and Joe Spiers' two-run single just inside the first-base bag brought home the final two runs.

Justin Costi (8-1, 3.45 ERA) will start for UH today.

Notes: The Rainbows are ranked anywhere from No. 23 to No. 29 in four of the five national polls. ... The UH pitching staff has allowed just two runs, one earned in the last 36 innings.

Nevada 15, San Jose State 1

The fifth-seeded Wolf Pack blasted four home runs among their 18 hits to back the eight-hit pitching of senior right-hander Tim Schoeninger in a mild upset of the fourth-seeded Spartans (33-25).

The Wolf Pack, who have won eight consecutive games, scored four runs in the third to knock SJSU starter Loren Moneypenny out of the game, then took a 10-0 lead in the fifth.

Drew Johnson, hitting just .185 entering the game, drove a three-run shot over the left-field wall to highlight the fifth. David Ciarlo followed with a solo homer to left.

Terry Walsh lined a ball over the right-center-field fence in the seventh and Shawn Scobee connected on a two-run homer in the eighth.

San Jose State has lost seven consecutive games and plays Fresno State in today's first game. If the Spartans lose, they are eliminated.

Fresno State 10, Sacramento State 2

After Buddy Morales' solo home run in the top of the eighth cut the top-seeded Bulldogs' lead to 4-2, they broke the game open with six runs in the bottom of the inning.

Ozzie Lewis started the inning with his fourth homer of the season and knocked in the final two runs with a single to right. He was 4-for-5 with four RBIs for Fresno State (40-16).

Doug Fister pitched eight innings and held the sixth-seeded Hornets (20-36) to five hits.

Sacramento State plays Louisiana Tech in an elimination game today.

---