Hawai'i rallies to knock off Alumni, 14-10
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
When freshman Ricky Bauer surrendered a solo home run to the first batter he faced yesterday, he thought he was in for a long day.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Instead, it was just an aberration, as coach Mike Trapasso's first local recruit allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts as the University of Hawai'i rallied past the Alumni, 14-10, yesterday at Les Murakami Stadium.
Ricky Bauer didn't walk a batter in 5 1/3 innings of relief to get the win against the Alumni.
"I felt fine when I first came in (from the bullpen), but after I saw that first hit, it was, 'Oh, boy,' " the 6-foot-2, 165-pound right-hander out of Mid-Pacific Institute said. "I thought that was how the game was going to go for me."
Bauer, who was credited with the win, practiced Trapasso's pitching philosophy of "forcing contact," by not walking anyone. He either got two of his first three pitches for strikes, or put the ball in play within the same span on 19 of the 25 batters he faced.
Another freshman, Jason Piepmeier, allowed a run in the final 2 1/3 innings.
This happened after starter Sean Yamashita allowed six runs in 1 1/3 innings.
"The story of the game was Ricky Bauer coming in and just keeping the ball down, and Piepmeier," Trapasso said. "Those two guys only giving up three runs in the last seven innings. And we didn't walk anybody. If you don't walk anybody in nine innings, it gives you a chance. But that's a little misleading because (the alumni players) are up here to swing. They're not going to take pitches."
The Alumni owned a 7-5 lead after two innings. Kenny Harrison slugged two home runs — a two-run shot off Yamashita in the first and the solo blast off Bauer in the second — Sean Takamori had a two-run double and Patrick Scalabrini hit a solo home run.
But the varsity chipped away against seven alumni pitchers. Preseason all-Western Athletic Conference pick Gregg Omori ripped a two-run home run to left-center in the first and had a two-run single in the fifth, finishing the day 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI. Tim Montgomery and Derek Honma hit back-to-back solo homers in the second.
Leadoff batter Arthur Guillen and second batter Brent Cook each had two hits. Guillen also had a stolen base.
Shortstop Cortland Wilson, who batted .306 last year, but struggled defensively (24 errors), had an RBI double. He also had three assists and did not commit an error.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
"The idea was a dress rehearsal," Trapasso said of the annual exhibition. "We wanted to win the game, get that feeling of doing that. You take the first two innings out and I think we were good."
Hawai'i right fielder Tim Montgomery brings in a fly ball at the wall for the third out of the fourth inning.
Trapasso said right-hander Bryan Lee will pitch the season opener Wednesday against Florida State. Bauer will pitch Thursday and left-hander Ryan Yamamoto will start Friday. The fourth game is open, Trapasso said. Yamashita, Piepmeier or Davin Morita are being considered, he said.
Bauer admits he is nervous about facing the Seminoles, ranked between second and sixth nationally by three different sources.
"The night before the start, I'll probably not sleep," he said.
UH-HILO
• All wet: Yesterday's Hawai'i-Hilo-Florida State game was halted in the top of the second inning with the Seminoles leading 6-0 at Wong Stadium.
The game will resume at 10:30 a.m. today at Simmons Field in Kona.
Following the game, the teams will play either a single nine-inning game or two seven-inning games.
