'Bows rally for 3 in 8th, top Sea Warriors, 6-3
Advertiser Staff
In a game featuring two local teams, every action drew cheers as Hawai'i scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to snap a 3-all game and beat Hawai'i Pacific, 6-3, last night in the Verizon Rainbow Baseball Easter Tournament.
Hawai'i football coach June Jones made an appearance. Accompanied by friend Artie Wilson, Jones climbed the steep steps up to the press box and spoke awhile on the game's telecast on KFVE. When he departed, fans near the area applauded him.
The second-seeded Rainbows will play California-Santa Barbara for the Green Division championship at 6:30 tonight. Although the Rainbows and Gauchos have the same tourney record, UCSB will be the home team because of the head-to-head tie-breaker.
Patrick Scalabrini ripped a one-out triple in the eighth, and scored on a bloop single to right by Danny Kimura. Jacob Flick followed with a single, and after a double steal, pinch-hitter Derek Honma was intentionally walked to load the bases. Tim Montgomery followed with a two-run single.
Hawai'i took a 1-0 lead in the first off HPU starter Kelton Otsuka. With one out, Cortland Wilson singled, stole second and third on consecutive pitches and scored on Gregg Omori's double to left.
The Rainbows increased their lead in the third. Matthew Purtell drew a one-out walk and took third on Wilson's single to right. Omori followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give UH a 2-0 lead.
The Sea Warriors cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth against UH starter Sean Yamashita. Bryce Uegawachi singled with one out, stole second and advanced to third when Ryan Blood reached safely on shortstop Wilson's throwing error. The at-bat snapped Blood's streak of six straight hits spanning two games.
With runners at the corners, former Rainbow Wade Taguchi struck out and Lucas Castlen followed with a single to left to score Uegawachi.
Hawai'i chased Otsuka in the sixth. Wilson led off with a walk and advanced to second on Omori's single to left. Scalabrini then singled up the middle to score Wilson and end Otsuka's night. Kyle Madej came in and got Kimura to ground into a double play that allowed Omori to take third. Madej then walked Jacob Flick and got Kevin Gilbride to fly out to left to end the inning.
Wilson's second error of the game Ü this time as a second baseman Ü allowed the Sea Warriors to tie the game in the eighth. With runners at second and third and two out, Tyrus Matsumoto singled to right-center to even the score at 3.
Warm-up tosses: Hawai'i Pacific will play Wichita State at noon tomorrow at Rainbow Stadium. There will be no admission charge. The game was not originally on HPU's schedule.
Wichita State 10, Centenary 0: John Tetuan and Dustin Atkins combined on a five-hitter to lead the Shockers in a game cut to eight innings because of the tournament's 2à-hour time limit.
Tetuan (2-2) allowed two hits in six innings and Atkins pitched the final two innings, allowing three hits.
Bryan Erstad batted 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Tanner Welch was 2-for-5 with two RBIs for the Shockers.
Gents starter Joe Robideaux (3-1) lasted 2Á innings, allowing five runs and six hits.
Lewis-Clark State 3, Kita-Kyushu 0: Ryan Heitmann and Junior Avina combined on a four-hitter for the Warriors.
Heitmann gave up two hits and two walks in six innings with five strikeouts. Avina allowed two hits and a walk in three innings.
Brendon Ryan had two RBIs for the Warriors.
Hayato Yamada allowed three runs (two earned) in seven innings for the Blue Storm.
UC-Santa Barbara 10, Lewis-Clark State 5: Jeff Bannon's three-run home run highlighted a five-run seventh inning as the Gauchos clinched the top seed for today's Green Division championship.
The game was called after 7 1/3 innings because of the time limit rule.
Rylie Ogle (7-1) allowed five runs in eight innings for the Gauchos (20-8, 5-1 in the tourney). Mike Chavez (2-3) gave up four runs in 3Á innings of relief of starter Chris Nabeus, who allowed four runs in three innings.
Mike Kolbach and Tyler Von Schell each had two RBIs for the Gauchos, while Trevor Brown hit a two-run homer for the Warriors.
The Warriors (28-7, 4-2) will play Kita-Kyushu for the White Division championship at 3 p.m. today.
