Zimny and Daly carry ’Bows

UH sinks UWM on Zimny's 3 doubles

Evan Zimny didn't pout when he was held out of the Hawaii starting lineup for four games.

"I just try to be a good teammate, like everybody else," Zimny said.

Hawaii    Wisc.-Milw. 9 2 Next Up vs. Nevada on Friday

Yesterday he was a great teammate.

Zimny, making his first start since March 9 against Arizona, tied a school record by belting three doubles. The junior right fielder scored all three times, helping UH to a 9-2 victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a four-game series sweep.

A gathering of 982 at Les Murakami Stadium also saw starter Matt Daly allow just one hit in five innings to get the win.

Coach Mike Trapasso said Zimny -- who started 20 of UH's first 22 games and raised his batting average from .250 to .275 yesterday -- wasn't demoted or put into a platoon arrangement.

"Mostly, it was really to get him to clear his head. Get some time off," Trapasso said. "(Yesterday's performance) couldn't have come at a better time. We brought him in here to do that, what he did today. That's why he's here. The kid's been a .350 hitter his whole life. He's too good a hitter not to hit.

"We need him to do what he did today against righties, lefties, whatever. We're not expecting him to hit three doubles every game, but if he wants to, that's OK."

The few listless bats in the Hawaii lineup are heating up in time for the start of conference play Friday against Nevada.

Landon Hernandez, who was in a mini-slump before the series, had three hits.

So did Jon Hee, who is 5-for-12 since moving to the leadoff spot.

With 13 knocks yesterday, the team batting average improved to .307. That, and a team ERA of 2.61, is why the Rainbows are 19-8. Nine games against winless Chicago State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee (0-13) helped, but two weeks ago the Rainbows outscored nationally ranked Arizona while taking one of three.

"There's no question that we're capable of being a good club. When we play well we have a chance of being a very good club," said Trapasso, after UH's 10th win in its last 12 games. "Even though we start conference and are basically starting at 0-0 we know what it is for the most part what we need to do to be successful, and to be better when we're not playing well."

For the pitchers in general and Daly specifically, the key as always is delivering strikes. The hard-throwing sophomore righty had great stuff yesterday, but walked four while striking out seven. He got an early hook after five innings with a 1-0 lead.

"I ended up throwing too many pitches. They were fouling a lot of pitches off and it put me at a high pitch count early in the game," Daly said. "Fastball was working. My changeup was working real well. And I could throw the slider for strikes."

Daly was "just OK," Trapasso said.

"Too many walks, too many deep counts. But he did what we needed him to do," the coach said.

The walks didn't do any damage, and Hernandez's RBI single after Zimny's first double in the second held up as the only run until UH scored in the bottom of the fifth when Brandon Haislet's single brought in Derek DuPree, who had walked.

Zimny two-baggers in the sixth and seventh started three- and four-run rallies; he was the first of six consecutive Rainbows to reach base after two outs in the seventh.

Hee drove in three runs from the leadoff spot. DuPree, who has moved down to No. 2 in the order, walked three times to double his bases on balls for the season.

"It's worked out OK. I wouldn't say we're set in anything," Trapasso said. "We'll keep putting the lineup out there that we think has the best chance to win that day."

Third baseman Justin Frash, the only Rainbow to play in every game, was replaced by Vinnie Catricala after four innings. Frash said he felt dizzy. He suffered "a minor concussion" after colliding with first baseman Kris Sanchez as both went for a popup Saturday.

"He's fine. He could've kept going. He just wasn't feeling well," Trapasso said of Frash, who is batting .352. "I told him to go home and go to sleep. He wanted to stay."

Nate Young started a second game in a row at shortstop, but Trapasso said Eli Christensen is still No. 1 at the position after going 0-for-8 in the first two games of the series.

"EIl's our shortstop, but Nate's a guy we'll put in there anytime if Eli's struggling," Trapasso said. "We have two good guys we can put in at any time. Eli will start on Friday, and we'll go from there."