Rainbows lose heartbreaker in 11th

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Ryan Spilborghs scored on a force play in the bottom of the 11th inning as California-Santa Barbara beat Hawai'i, 7-6, last night to capture the Green Division title of the Verizon Rainbow Easter Baseball Tournament.

UC-Santa Barbara's Jeff Bannon dives back to first base just ahead of the throw to Hawai'i's Danny Kimura. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Spilborghs led off with a double against Bryan Lee (2-2) and took third on Jared Schumaker's sacrifice. Lee intentionally walked Mike Kolbach and Chad Peshke to load the bases and create force plays at all bases. Dave Molidor then hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Lane Nogawa, who fed freshman second baseman Cortland Wilson for the force, but Wilson's relay to first was wide, allowing the winning run to score.

"I knew we had to turn two and get (the relay) off as fast as I could," said Wilson, a late-game defensive replacement because of lineup changes resulting from UH's five-run, ninth-inning rally. "It was just a little bit to the right."

Although Wilson's throw was wide, because a forceout was recorded at second, an error could not be charged as the winning run had already scored. An out cannot be assumed after the relay.

"It was a tough situation," UH acting coach Carl Furutani said. "All I can say is that our guys played hard. They didn't give up. Nobody hung their heads. They played their hearts out. I'm very proud of they way they went out there."

Wilson committed three errors during the tournament but batted 15-for-25 and was named to the all-tournament team as a designated hitter. Teammate Patrick Scalabrini also was named all-tournament as a third baseman.

Jeremy Sugarman (2-1) pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to win it for the Gauchos (21-8).

Hawai'i sent 10 batters to the plate in the ninth-inning rally that tied the score at 6. A throwing error by shortstop Jeff Bannon prolonged the inning for the Rainbows.

With two outs and runners at first and second, Bannon's error brought home one run and put runners at second and third. Danny Kimura followed with a two-run single to chase starter James Garcia.

Jamie Gonzalez came in for Garcia and walked Brian Bock, who was lifted for pinch-runner Derek Honma. After a wild pitch advanced the runners, an infield single by Chad Boudon scored Flick.

With Lane Nogawa pinch-hitting for Tim Montgomery, Gonzalez's first pitch was wild, allowing Honma to score the tying run. Sugarman was summoned after the 1-0 count and struck out Nogawa to end the inning.

The Gauchos struck first in the bottom of the second on a lead-off home run by Tyler Von Schell off UH starter Chad Giannetti.

The Rainbows tied the score in the sixth on Scalabrini's one-out solo home run to center, between the new and old fences, about 395 feet from the plate, against Garcia.

The Gauchos chased Giannetti in the sixth, when they loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Jeff Coleman, making his second relief appearance of the season, came in to face Von Schell, whose sacrifice fly to left scored Mike Kolbach. But the first pitch to Bannon was wild, allowing the runners to take second and third. Bannon then reached second on a fielder's choice that erased Dave Molidor on a rundown between home and third, as Chad Peshke took third.

On an 0-2 count, Coleman unleashed his second wild pitch to score Peshke and advance Bannon to third. Jed Stringham then followed with a ground-rule double to center to score Bannon.

The bleeding continued when Donovan Warrecker singled to left to score Stringham. Coleman then struck out Spilborghs to end the inning, but by then, the Gauchos had jumped to a 5-1 lead.

Von Schell added a solo homer in the eighth to make it 6-1.

• Lewis-Clark St. 13, Hawai'i Pacific 0: Honolulu-born J.R. Crider allowed one hit in six innings, while striking out four to lead the Warriors to the Easter tournament's White Division championship in a game called after 7 1/2 innings because of the tourney's 12-run rule.

Yoshi Kimura batted 3-for-4 with five RBIs and a stolen base for the Warriors (29-7).

Kai Austin (1-3) allowed five runs, three of them earned, in 1 1/3 innings for the Sea Warriors (16-18).

• HPU 13, Kita-Kyushu 9: The Sea Warriors sent 13 batters to the plate, erupting for eight runs in the fifth inning to advance to the White Division championship.

Tom Peters and Wade Taguchi each had three RBIs, while Ryan Blood and Jeremiah Yacap had two each. They combined for 10 of the team's 16 hits.

Kyle Madej pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout to get credit for the victory.

• Wichita St. 6, Centenary 2: In the Green consolation game, Justin Maureau (4-1) pitched seven strong innings for the Shockers (19-11).

Brad Wright's two-run home run in the third inning ignited the Shockers' 10-hit attack off Nick Waak (3-5), who allowed six runs, five of them earned, in seven innings for the Gents (12-23-1).