'Bows' bats go cold in 7-0 loss to Louisiana Tech
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
For no special reason Adam Kirkendall was bumped from tonight's start to last night.
Then all the junior left-hander did was pitch a two-hitter to lead Louisiana Tech over Hawai'i, 7-0, to even the Western Athletic Conference baseball series at 1.
A Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 1,138 watched the Bulldogs (20-31, 6-20 WAC) move percentage points ahead of the Rainbows (16-33, 5-18), and a half-game behind UH because of the uneven number of games played by each team.
"It was just something we decided this morning and it worked out," Tech coach Jeff Richardson said of the pitching change.
Kirkendall (6-3) matched his season-high with 11 strikeouts and didn't allow UH a hit until one out in the sixth inning, when Lane Nogawa grounded a single to right. The other hit he allowed was a flare to left by Derek Honma to leadoff the eighth. Kirkendall used 129 pitches in facing five batters over the minimum. He walked one and hit a batter, and another batter reached on an error.
"I was throwing (my curve) for strikes whenever I wanted," he said. "I had command of all my pitches, throwing strikes all night."
His performance was completely opposite of his outing April 14 against UH in Ruston, La. He went 4¡ innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and three walks.
Kirkendall said he fixed a mechanical problem since.
"A couple games ago, I found some of my problems and straightened everything out," he said. "My last couple starts have been a lot better."
He said none of his teammates spoke of the no-hitter, but "I was thinking about it the whole time."
Nogawa grounded an 0-1 pitch between first and second, ironically, off a curve, Kirkendall said.
It was the third time the Rainbows have been shut out this season, and the third time they've been held to two or fewer hits.
Senior Sean Yamashita's final home start of his career lasted three-plus innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk. Because the game was still close when he gave up the third run in the fourth, he was lifted.
"I don't think I did that bad," Yamashita said. "It was only three runs. But it's our last weekend and Coach Trap (Mike Trapasso) wants to win. I had no problems about that. It's still my job to get the guys out. I didn't do my part of it. We got shutout, two hits. It wouldn't have made a difference."
Three senior relievers followed Yamashita. Aaron Pribble pitched four innings, giving up three runs, while Ryan Yamamoto (one run) and Jean-Paul Gauthier (no runs) pitched an inning each.
Brandon Haygood led the Bulldogs with three hits, including a double, while Wade Robinson and Michael Hall each had two hits.
Also, Ryan Jackson hit his second solo home run in as many nights and Jody Wood had a two-run triple.
The rubber game of the series is 6:35 tonight. It is the final home game for 10 seniors: Yamashita, Pribble, Yamamoto, Gauthier, Nogawa, Scooter Martines, Gregg Omori, Matt Le Ducq, Derek Honma and Ian Jones. They will be honored after tonight's game.
