Wong, UH dump Gonzaga
POSTED: Monday, April 05, 2010
For the second straight day, Hawaii mounted a frantic late-inning comeback.
This time, the Rainbows finished the deal.
Kolten Wong hit a game-tying three-run homer, Kevin Macdonald smacked the go-ahead double, and Jesse Moore struck out Mark Castellitto with the tying run on second to end Hawaii's 6-5 victory over Gonzaga yesterday in front of a Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 973.
Hawaii trailed by at least three runs in the eighth inning for the second straight game. On Saturday, Hawaii scored three in the ninth, but left the tying run on second base in a 7-6 loss.
Yesterday, the Rainbows scored five runs in the eighth inning, then held on as Gonzaga (11-15) mounted a two-out rally of its own.
Chris Sturdivant singled and Andy Hunter doubled off the glove of right fielder Matt Roquemore to cut the deficit to one. Moore replaced Zach Gallagher, who pitched 4 1/3 innings in relief of starter Sam Spangler, and struck out Castellitto, the reigning NCBWA National Player of the Week.
“;The first word that comes to my mind is fortunate,”; Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. “;This group of kids has a toughness and a resiliency about them to where they don't feel like they're out of it as long as we're in striking distance.”;
The Rainbows (16-12), who struggled offensively all series long, pulled out their ninth win in the last 12 games (including two of three over Gonzaga) heading into Western Athletic Conference play starting Friday.
Hawaii looked defeated through seven innings as Gonzaga starter Jeremy Stumetz had only allowed four hits.
Roquemore got things going in the eighth with a walk and Greg Garcia flared a base hit into right center, bringing Wong to the plate as the tying run.
Stumetz had hit the 100-pitch mark, but Gonzaga coach Mark Machtolf left his senior right-hander in the game to face the left-handed-hitting Wong, who deposited a 2-1 pitch over the wall in right to tie things up.
“;I saw the lefty warming up and thought he'd come in, so I was a little surprised,”; Wong said. “;This whole entire game I was getting changeups and I was kind of out in front of them, so I knew at that count I'd get some type of changeup and I got my pitch.”;
The Rainbows didn't stop there, and it proved to be the difference in the game. Stumetz stayed in the game and got the second out, but Collin Bennett, who made an incredible diving catch in center earlier in the game, kept the inning alive with a single up the middle. Macdonald, who was 0-for-5 with six walks in the series, worked the count full before blasting a line drive down the left-field line that brought Bennett in with the go-ahead run.
“;We got those two extra runs after Wong tied it up and that's what got it done,”; Macdonald said.
Bennett was able to get a running start on the 3-2 pitch, which allowed him to cross the plate without a close throw.
“;I saw the line drive and got on my horse and said I was going to score,”; Bennett said.
Macdonald came around to score what turned out to be the game-winning run on a ball hit by Sean Montplaisir that bounced off first baseman Royce Bolinger's glove.
Gallagher (3-1) was credited with the win, allowing one run and six hits in 4 1/3 innings with no walks and three strikeouts. The save was Moore's third of the year.
Hawaii pitcher Matt Sisto, who experienced soreness in his throwing arm on Saturday, is expected to see a doctor today.
The Rainbows open conference play at home against four-time defending WAC tournament champion Fresno State on Friday at 6:35 p.m.
HAWAII 6, GONZAGA 5
| Hawaii | AB | R | H | BI | Gonzaga | AB | R | H | BI | |
| Roquemore rf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Heid cf | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Garcia ss | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Sturdivant rf | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| Wong 2b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Hunter dh | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Freitas c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Chism pr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Bennett cf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Castellitto lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Macdonald 1b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Edman 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Montplaisir lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bolinger 1b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Johnson dh | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Esllick 2b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| Van Doornum ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Ortiz ss | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kitamura 3b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Hawk c | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| Chevalier 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Totals | 32 | 6 | 8 | 5 | Totals | 35 | 5 | 11 | 5 |
| Gonzaga | 011 | 020 | 001 | — | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| Hawaii | 100 | 000 | 05x | — | 6 | 8 | 0 |
E—Bolinger, Edman. DP—Hawaii 1. LOB—Hawaii 5; Gonzaga 8. 2b—Eslick 2, Bolinger, Hunter, Sturdivant; Macdonald. HR—Wong. HBP—Gonzaga: Edman, Hawk; Hawaii: Freitas, Macdonald. SF—Castellitto. SB—Wong. CS—Sturdivant.
| Hawaii | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Spangler (W, 3-1) | 41/3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Gallagher | 41/3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Moore (S, 3) | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gonzaga | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Stumetz (L, 2-2) | 72/3 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Baron | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
WP—Stumetz; Spangler. HBP—by Stumetz (Freitas); by Stumetz (Macdonald); by Spangler (Hawk); by Gallagher (Edman). Umpires—Tom Chandler (Plate); Gus Rodriguez (First); Mik Hendrickson (Third).
T—2:54. A—973.
SATURDAY'S BOX SCORE
GONZAGA 7, HAWAII 6
| Hawaii | AB | R | H | BI | Gonzaga | AB | R | H | BI | |
| Roquemore rf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Heid cf | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| Garcia ss | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Edman 3b | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wong 2b | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Hunter dh | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Freitas c | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Castellitto lf | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Bennett cf | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | Esllick 2b | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Macdonald 1b | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Bolinger 1b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Van Doornum ph | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Hawk c | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Chevalier ph/dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Yardley 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Johnson ph | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Ortiz ss | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Almadova pr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Kitamura 3b | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Brackenridge lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Montplaisir ph | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Totals | 36 | 6 | 8 | 3 | Totals | 38 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| Gonzaga | 002 | 030 | 110 | — | 7 | 12 | 3 |
| Hawaii | 100 | 011 | 003 | — | 6 | 8 | 2 |
E—Castellitto, Danner, Yardley; Brackenridge, Macdonald. DP—Hawaii 1; Gonzaga—1. LOB—Hawaii 13; Gonzaga 6. 2b—Heid; Bennett, Freitas. HBP—Hawaii: Roquemore 2. SH—Yardley. SB—Heid. CS—Heid.
| Hawaii | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Sisto (L, 3-4) | 22/3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Capaul | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Moore | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Walters | 1/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Klein | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Gonzaga | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Carpenter (W, 2-3) | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Olson | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Danner | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hiatt | 1/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Baron | 2/3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Phillips (S, 1) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
WP—Carpenter; Capaul. HBP—by Carpenter (Roquemore), by Baron (Roquemore). BK—Carpenter. Umpires—Mik Hendrickson (Plate); Tom Chandler (First); Gus Rodriguez (Third).
T—3:52. A—2,848.
