By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
HILO, Hawai‘i — Errors on the field and in base running cost the University of Hawai‘i-Hilo Vulcans in a 3-2 loss to Arizona in 10 innings in a collegiate baseball season opener for both last night.
A Wong Stadium gathering of about 250 watched Ernie Durazo score the go-ahead run on a double-play grounder to second. Durazo led off the 10th with a line single to right and moved to second and third on wild pitches by reliever Sergio Reyes (0-1).
The four-game series resumes with a 4 p.m. doubleheader today. The first game is seven innings.
Two errors accounted for two unearned runs for the Wildcats, picked to finish fourth in their conference in poll by Pac-10 coaches. But two base-running mistakes might have cost the Vulcans scoring opportunities that would have negated extra innings.
"When you play a good team like Arizona, you can’t make those mistakes and expect to win," said Vulcans coach Joey Estrella.
The Vulcans saw a short-lived 1-0 lead melt in the Big Island humidity in the top of the second inning on two throwing errors by third baseman Mike Hobbs. A two out, two-run single by Jason Shroyer off UHH starter Anthony Bernal gave Wildcats’ starter Sean Rierson a 2-1 lead.
"Mike played there last year," Estrella said. "For Mike to do that is uncharacteristic. It’s the first game, you get a ground ball, you want to do well. That was a physical error, so it didn’t bother me."
But the two base-running miscues did.
In bottom of the first inning, Brian Rooke led off with a line single to center and stole second. After Kaliko Oligo walked, Rooke stole third with Oligo holding at first. Rooke then scored on Ryan Petersen’s sacrifice fly to center.
Keola Park then hit a pop up behind shortstop Brad Hassey, who apparently lost the ball under the poor lighting conditions. The ball dropped behind Hassey, but Oligo was holding halfway to second to see if the ball would be caught. Hassey fired to third baseman Erik Torres covering second for the force.
"He gave up on the ball," Estrella said. "With these lights and everything, you gotta think that maybe there’s a possibility."
An throwing error by Hassey on Chad Agustin’s grounder that followed would have scored Oligo.
The other base running mistake came in the bottom of the eighth with the score tied at 2. Park led off with a ground single to right and was lifted for pinch runner Darren Chu. Agustin took the first pitch for a strike and catcher Ken Riley fired to first baseman Durazo to pick-off Chu.
"Some of these are mistakes that are rectifiable," Estrella said.
The Vulcans tied the game at 2 in the fifth. Hobbs led off with a walk and made it to third on Rierson’s throwing error on a sacrifice by Rooke, who reached first safely. Hobbs then scored on Oligo’s ground out to shortstop.
If anything, the Vulcans might have shown some potential with their pitching. Bernal, a junior college transfer, went six innings, allowing four hits and a walk. Estrella limited his starter to 80 pitches. The Advertiser’s count showed he used 81. Estrella said he let him pitch the sixth because he still had 11 pitches before reaching the limit. "He’s exceeded expectations," Estrella said.
Brian Unger, Clay Daugherty and Sergio Reyes — all JC transfers — combined for three innings. Shaun Suzuki got the final three outs.
Chris Goodman (1-0) pitched 51/3 innings of relief, allowing three hits and two walks. Rob Elias got the last out for the save.
ARIZONA 020 000 000 1 — 3 6 2
HAWAI‘i-HILO 100 010 000 0 — 2 5 3
Sean Rierson, Chris Goodman (5), Rob Elias (10). and Ken Riley. Anthony Bernal, Brian Unger (7), Clay Daugherty (8), Sergio Reyes (9), Shaun Suzuki (10) and Tod d Jinbo. W-Goodman. L-Reyes. S-Elias.
Leading hitters-Arizona: Matt Abram 2-5, double; Ernie Durazo 2-5; Jason Shroyer 2-run single.
 HPU, Somoma State split: Tom Peters batted 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs, and Daric Stith went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs as Hawai‘i Pacific defeated Sonoma State (Calif.), 15-5, to earn a split of a college baseball doubleheader yesterday at Hans L’Orange Park.
The Sea Warriors scored five runs in the first inning and eight in the third.
In the first game, Martin Macias singled in pinch runner Frank Wasilewski with the go-ahead run with two outs in the top the seventh inning as Sonoma State rallied to defeat HPU, 9-8.
The Sea Warriors led 8-4 after four innings.
The first four batters in the Cossacks’ lineup — Fehlandt Lentini, Brian Stream, Joe Nouguier and Allen Marshall — combined to go 10-of-16 with six runs and six RBIs.
First Game
SONOMA ST. (CALIF.) 004 004 1 — 9 15 1
HAWAI‘I PACIFIC 402 200 0 — 8 15 3
Ian Keene, Brent White (3), Jared Silveira (4), Aaron Boynton (5), Tony Graf (7) and Ryan Johnston, Martin Macias, Scott Griggs. Matt Zachary, Palani Nunes (6) and Brandan Critchley. WP-Boynton. LP-Nunes. S-Graf.
Leading Hitters: SS-Fehlandt Lentini 4-5, double, 2 runs; Brian Stream 2-4, triple, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Joe Nouguier 2-3, double; Allen Marshall 2-4, double, homer, 3 RBIs; Craig Hennes homer. HPU-Jon Ozeretny 3-4; Daric Stith homer, 3 runs; Tom Peters 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Jeremiah Yacap 4-4, double; Critchley 2-4, double, 4 RBIs.
Second Game
SONOMA ST. (CALIF.) 001 111 1 — 5 9 2
HAWAI‘I PACIFIC 508 020 X — 15 16 3
Aaron Parker, Brad Husted (3), Tim Worthington (3), Colter Bissell (5) and Martin Macias, Scott Griggs. Kelton Otsuka, Blane Muraoka (6) and Brandan Critchley, Tyrus Matsumoto. WP-Otsuka. LP-Parker.
Leading Hitters: SS-Allen Marshall 2-3, double; Bobby Ritter 2-3, double, 2 RBIs. HPU-Bryce Uegawachi 2-4, double, 2 runs; Ryan Blood 2-5, double, 2 runs; Daric Stith 3-5, double, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Jon Ozeretny 3-3, 2 RBIs; Tom Peters 3-4, double, 4 RBIs; Tyrus Matsumoto homer, 2 RBIs.
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