High noon finds Rainbows down again in 10-3 loss to Fresno State
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
There's something about high noon that brings out the worst in Hawai'i baseball.
Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Rainbows ran themselves out of a potential big inning, their hottest hitter was late and their best starting pitcher was ineffective as Fresno State downed Hawai'i, 10-3, in Western Athletic Conference baseball yesterday.
Hawai'i's Patrick Scalabrini slides in safely at third in the fourth inning. Fresno State defeated Hawai'i, 10-3, to extend the Rainbows' record during 12:05 p.m. starts to 0-3 this season.
A Rainbow Stadium gathering of 573 saw the Rainbows (16-19, 6-13 WAC) drop their second straight. It was difficult to tell whether the low turnout was because of the advanced warning of pickets entering the athletic complex. The Rainbows haven't drawn well for 12:05 p.m. starts anyway. They are 0-3 during those scheduled starting times.
"We always have problems with these noon games. and it's one of those things," UH acting coach Carl Furutani said. "I don't know how to explain it. We've tried different things. We even practiced early in the morning these past couple days, trying to get ourselves ready for it. But noon games in Hawai'i is one thing that's really difficult for us."
Fresno State (24-15, 8-8) had its own problems before coming here. Four players, including a starter, quit the team last week. Instead of losing their focus, the Bulldogs made the Rainbows pay, pounding out 16 hits, including home runs by Brendon Gemoll and Casey McGehee.
Rainbow starter Jeff Coleman (3-5), the team's ace, struggled with his command. He allowed six runs, nine hits and four walks in 6¡ innings. He also hit two batters, each time when he was ahead in the count.
The Rainbows managed 13 hits off FSU starter Bob Runyon (4-0), who gave up three runs in 8¡ innings while striking out six. But Hawai'i missed Cortland Wilson's hot bat. The team's leading hitter (.373) was benched for arriving late to the park, Furutani said. He is expected to return to the lineup today.
"It's a one-day thing," Furutani said. "It happens today, I still love him tomorrow. It's one of those things."
The Rainbows had problems on the base paths. Down 6-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Brian Bock reached safely on a two-base throwing error by third baseman Nick Garcia. Bock got tagged out in a rundown between second and third when Tim Montgomery reached first on a fielder's choice grounder to the pitcher.
Runyon tried to pick off Montgomery, but his throw was wild. Montgomery tried to go all the way to third, but was gunned down for the second out. Matthew Purtell followed with an infield single to third and stole second. But he was left stranded when Lane Nogawa grounded out to shortstop.
"We made a lot of mental mistakes today and there's no excuse for that and that's the reason why we didn't play well," Furutani said.
Runyon made good pitches when he needed to. He escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning when the Bulldogs led 6-3.
"I thought Runyon, although he gave up a few hits, got tough when he had to get tough," FSU coach Bob Bennett said. "The big inning for us was when they had the bases loaded and we pitched out of it."
The Rainbows saw their 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning disappear on Gemoll's two-run home run to right. Although UH tied the game at 3 in the fifth, McGehee's one-out, two-run homer in the seventh gave the Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish.
The Bulldogs secured their lead with four runs in the top of the ninth off reliever Aaron Pribble.
The series continues today at 2:05 p.m. The probable starting pitchers are Wakon Childers (1-0) for UH and Ben Fritz (2-4) for FSU. Fritz, who batted 2-for-5 as the DH yesterday, will hit for himself today, Bennett said.
• Warm-up tosses: Youth league players wearing their uniforms may purchase red section seats for $1 while supply lasts for today's game.
Bob Bennett, in his 33rd season as coach at FSU, has developed a good working relationship with UH coach Les Murakami, who is rehabilitating from a stroke suffered Nov. 2. Bennett said he hopes to visit Murakami before his Bulldogs leave for Hilo on Wednesday.
"I've stayed in contact with how he's doing through Carl (Furutani) and Markus (Owens, of UH's media relations office) and everybody I've known in Hawai'i," Bennett said. "We're just praying for the day where he can walk and come out to the ballpark again."
