UC Irvine has broom ready for UH
POSTED: Sunday, February 22, 2009
Hawaii has shown the ability to compete with a national top-10 team.
But critical mistakes at inopportune times doomed the Rainbows' chances to earn a win over No. 9 UC Irvine.
| UC IRVINE 5-5
Hawaii 4-4
NEXT UP
vs. UC Irvine today
|
The Anteaters swept yesterday's doubleheader by identical 5-4 scores in front of a Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 1,431. While the Rainbows showed some mettle bouncing back from a 4-0 first-inning deficit in Game 1, the way Hawaii lost the nightcap left a bitter taste heading into today's series finale.
With the score tied at 3, Hawaii (0-3) committed errors in back-to-back innings that allowed the Anteaters to score two unearned runs. On the flip side, Hawaii had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth, a runner on third with one out in the fifth, and runners on first and second with no outs in the seventh.
None of those runners scored.
“;We didn't deserve to win the second game,”; Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said, “;We made way too many mistakes and our execution simply wasn't good enough to get a win.”;
UC Irvine (3-0) remained undefeated by maximizing what few chances it got. The Anteaters only had four hits in Game 2, but executed a one-out sacrifice fly to score a run in the fourth and got a one-out RBI groundout in the fifth.
What UCI could do, UH couldn't. Hawaii loaded the bases in the fourth with one out, but Greg Garcia hit a weak pop to short and Vinnie Catricala grounded out to third.
In the seventh, Catricala and Jeff Van Doornum singled off closer Eric Pettis with nobody out, but Kevin Macdonald popped out to the catcher on a bunt attempt and Christian Johnson grounded into a double play to end the game.
“;We dodged some bullets,”; UC Irvine coach Mike Gillespie said. “;If you're us, you're proud of the way you hung in there and competed. If you're them, I'm sure you're real frustrated.”;
The day started off on a sour note, as junior Nate Klein was rocked in the first inning of his first start for the 'Bows. Six of the first seven batters he faced reached base and in the blink of an eye, UC Irvine had a 4-0 lead.
Klein struggled with his command all day, but managed to last six innings. A home run by Francis Larson, who finished a single shy of the cycle, was the only other blemish as Klein allowed five runs on eight hits.
“;I was throwing sliders instead of curveballs and I think that helped a lot, but the whole game for one reason or another it wasn't happening,”; Klein said. “;Everything was just up.”;
His ability to stick with it kept the Rainbows in the game and Hawaii ultimately made a game of it. Johnson pulled the Rainbows to 5-4 in the eighth with a towering two-run home run off starter Christian Bergman, who lasted eight innings.
But Pettis, a preseason first-team All-American who had 17 saves last year, came on in the ninth and shut down the Rainbows in order.
“;He's been great for us, but Hawaii hit some balls on the button in that second game,”; said Gillespie, who had to watch the second game from the stands after being suspended for using an ineligible player in the fall.
UC Irvine was fortunate to take a 4-3 lead in Game 2. With one out in the fourth and a runner on third, DJ Crumlich flied out to right. Tony Asaro tagged up from third and just beat the throw from Johnson, but didn't touch the plate on his slide. Catcher Kevin Fujii tried to tag Asaro as he dove back to the plate, but was called for obstruction, allowing the run to count.
“;You'd think that if you tag a guy before he touches the plate he should be out, but that's not what the rule says,”; Trapasso said.
The Rainbows will send freshman Matt Sisto to the mound today as their final hope to take a game off the Anteaters. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m.
UC Irvine 5, Hawaii 4
| UC Irvine | AB | R | H | BI | Hawaii | AB | R | H | BI | |
| Madigan rf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Wong cf | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Orloff ss | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Garcia ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Cusick 1b | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Catricala 3b | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| Bell lf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Van Doornum dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Larson c | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | Macdonald 1b | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fisher dh | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Johnson rf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Stevenson 2b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Hernandez c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Deragisch 3b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Hoey 2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Olson cf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Myers ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Montplaisir lf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Totals | 35 | 5 | 9 | 5 | Totals | 31 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| UC Irvine | 401 | 000 | 000 | - | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| Hawaii | 001 | 100 | 020 | - | 4 | 7 | 1 |
E-Orloff; Bergman; Catricala. DP-UC Irvine 1; Hawaii 2. LOB-UC Irvine 5; Hawaii 6. 2B-Larson; Stevenson; Catricala. 3B-Larson. HR-Larson; Johnson. HBP-Macdonald. SH-Garcia; Montplaisir. SF-Catricala; Hernandez.
| UC Irvine | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Bergman (W, 1-0) | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Pettis (S, 1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hawaii | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Klein (L, 0-1) | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Kuroda | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Umpires-Joe Burleson (Plate); Billy Speck (First); Scott Higgins (Third).
T-2:15. A-1,431.
UC Irvine 5, Hawaii 4
| UC Irvine | AB | R | H | BI | Hawaii | AB | R | H | BI | |
| Madigan cf/rf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Wong cf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Orloff ss | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Garcia ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Cusick 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Catricala 3b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| Bell rf/lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Van Doornum dh | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| Larson dh/c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Macdonald 1b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Asaro lf | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Johnson rf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Stevenson 2b | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Montplaisir lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Crumlich 3b | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Morford 2b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Donabedian c | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Fujii c | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Olson cf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Myers ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hernandez c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Totals | 25 | 5 | 4 | 5 | Totals | 30 | 4 | 10 | 4 |
| UC Irvine | 030 | 110 | 0 | - | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Hawaii | 300 | 010 | 0 | - | 4 | 10 | 3 |
E-Garcia 2; Donabedian; Fujii. DP-UC Irvine 1. LOB-UC Irvine 3; Hawaii 8. 2B-Wong; Garcia; Van Doornum. 3B-Johnson. HBP-Stevenson; Wong. SF-Crumlich. SB-Van Doornum.
| UC Irvine | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Slaught | 31/3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Avison | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bardeen (W, 1-0) | 21/3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Pettis (S, 2) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hawaii | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Capaul (L, 0-1) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Spangler | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Umpires-Billy Speck (Plate); Scott Higgins (First); Joe Burleson (Third).
T-2:12. A-N/A.
