Pitching carries Arizona past UH

When one team totals six runs and the other five in three baseball games, the club that does the little things better wins the series.

Hawaii and Arizona pitching neutralized the hitters over the weekend, so baserunning and defense became huge factors. The Rainbows scored once more than the Wildcats, but Arizona won two games, including a 3-1 decision in yesterday's finale.

Wildcats capitalize on 3 late errors Three Hawaii errors in the eighth inning yesterday allowed Arizona to score two runs on the way to a 3-1 victory over the Rainbows. Arizona, ranked No. 24 by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, won two of the three games in the series at Les Murakami Stadium and improved to 15-6. Hawaii is 15-8, and 1-5 against ranked teams. Like Friday, when Ian Harrington allowed just two runs in 7 1/3 innings, UH could not take advantage of an outstanding pitching performance. Arizona managed just four hits off Josh Schneider in seven innings, but bunched three in the first inning for a run. UA's two runs in the eighth were caused by errors by relief pitcher Matt Daly, right fielder Jorge Franco and left fielder Derek DuPree. On Saturday, however, UH won 4-0 when Mark Rodrigues yielded just four hits in seven innings and Tyler Davis closed with two hitless frames. Next, Hawaii hosts Wisconsin-Milwaukee in single games Friday and Sunday and a doubleheader Saturday before Nevada comes to town to start Western Athletic Conference play.

A crowd of 1,520 at Les Murakami Stadium was treated to another taut pitching duel. This one was decided by a fateful eighth inning in which Arizona (15-6) didn't get a hit, but scored twice as Hawaii (15-8) committed three errors -- two on one play.

"That's what happens when you play in close games and you're getting good pitching from both teams," UA coach Andy Lopez said. "You've got to play tight defense when it's good pitching like that. (Saturday, when UH behind Mark Rodrigues won 4-0) we didn't and (yesterday) they didn't."

After seven innings of four-hit pitching by Josh Schneider, UH had just a 1-1 tie to show for it. The Wildcats bunched three of their hits in the first to take the lead and the Rainbows tied it without a hit against UA starter David Coulon in the second, when Brandon Haislet walked and eventually scored on Eli Christensen's ground out.

Matt Daly relieved Schneider to start the eighth and walked Dwight Childs. Daly then threw away Robert Abel's sacrifice bunt attempt. Right fielder Jorge Franco mishandled on the back-up, allowing Childs to score and Abel to get to third.

Instead of one out with a man on second and the score still tied, Arizona led 2-1 with none out and an insurance run 90 feet from home.

"I turned and looked second and when I came back to first I just didn't set my feet and made a bad throw," said Daly (1-1), who was saddled with the loss.

He recovered to induce T.J. Steele into a ground out that didn't score Abel and then fanned Colt Sedbrook for the second out.

But C.J. Ziegler hit a deep fly to left that Derek DuPree failed to catch. The third error of the inning allowed Abel to cross, making it 3-1.

"You can't get too upset when you make physical errors because that's part of the game," Rainbows coach Mike Trapasso said. "It just happened at a bad time. The leadoff walk set the tone and in a game like that you've got to avoid the leadoff walk because it sets a bad tone and bad things can happen."

Arizona relievers Cory Burns and Daniel Schlereth struck out six of the nine Rainbows they faced, with Schlereth allowing only a walk to Haislet in the ninth inning. Burns (1-1) got the win, and Schlereth notched his sixth save in six tries this season and second of the series.

But UH -- with six hits and two walks in the first seven innings -- had plenty of chances earlier.

Christensen, who went 6-for-9 in the series, singled with one out in the seventh. After Christensen stole second, Lopez was ejected following a long argument with plate umpire Ryan Arasato.

Lopez claimed Landon Hernandez interfered with catcher Childs' throw, but it also appeared to be a savvy move to give Burns more time to warm up, as well as an attempt to wake up the Wildcat bats.

"That was probably more my frustration of us not playing good baseball the last couple of days," Lopez said. "We just haven't made good adjustments at the plate. Now, a lot of that has to do with Mike's pitching staff."

After the ejection, Burns came in and struck out Hernandez and Vinnie Catricala to end the threat.

"I think it got us fired up," Burns said.

Earlier, the Rainbows were picked off twice. And the speedy Haislet was gunned out by center fielder Steele when Haislet tried to score from second on a one-out Christensen single in the fourth. Steele had just entered the game for Diallo Fon, who left due to illness and probably wouldn't have made the play.

"The guy made a good throw. I could've gotten a little more off, gotten a little more aggressive. Should've been able to make it," Haislet said. "The two steps were the two steps I should've gotten on the secondary (lead)."

Trapasso said the Rainbows will continue to force the action on the bases.

"We're not swinging great, they've got great pitchers on the mound, you gotta try to make things happen," he said. "I loved our demeanor (yesterday and Saturday). We go out and play like that the rest of the way, we're going to be a good club, if our guys realize they're capable of being pretty good.

"That's the way we're going to play the rest of the way."