Rice erases early Hawai'i lead to win, 12-4
Advertiser Staff
Top-ranked Rice sent 10 batters to the plate in a controversial six-run fifth inning to trounce the University of Hawai'i, 12-4, last night at Reckling Park in Houston to extend the nation's longest winning streak to 27.
The Owls (30-1 overall, 10-0 WAC) trailed 3-2 until the six-run inning that included the ejection of UH coach Mike Trapasso for arguing a pitch called foul that the Rainbows (17-15, 1-9) thought was in play.
With a runner at first, UH starter Nick Ponomarenko's 0-1 pitch to Jeff Jorgensen apparently hit the knob of the bat and rolled in front of catcher Brian Bock. Bock threw to second to start an apparent double play. After a discussion, the umpires maintained home plate umpire Ron Ridd's call that the ball was foul.
Trapasso said Ridd admitted he made the wrong call, but said when the pitch made contact with the knob, he immediately called it foul. Trapasso said as he was walking back to the dugout still commenting on the call, Ridd ejected him.
Jorgensen singled on the next pitch and Chris Kolkhorst tripled to left-center to give Rice a 4-3 lead and chase Ponomarenko (3-1), who went four-plus innings, allowing five runs on eight hits.
Reliever Justin Cayetano didn't fare any better, allowing three runs in one-third of an inning and Rich Olsen gave up four in the next 1¡ innings. Mike Peck went unscathed in 2¡ innings.
Rice starter Philip Humber (8-0) survived a shaky first two innings. He pitched eight innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts. Matt Ueckert gave up an unearned run in the ninth to finish for the Owls.
The Rainbows had Humber on the ropes early. Brian Finegan led off the game with a double, took third when Andrew Sansaver flied out to right and scored on Brent Cook's ground out to shortstop to give UH a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
Hawai'i went after Humber in the second with one out. Matt Inouye reached on an infield single and scored on a double to left by Bock, who took third on the throw to the infield. After Tim Montgomery walked, Isaac Omura singled to left to score Bock and give UH a 3-0 lead.
The Owls scored in the bottom of the second on a two-run single by Paul Janish to pull to 3-2.
Ponomarenko blanked the Owls until the fifth. They then added four runs in the sixth, when they sent eight batters to the plate.
The Rainbows added a run in the ninth off Ueckert. Pinch hitter Tyler Wightman led off with a walk and two outs later, took second on Arthur Guillen's ground single to left. Wightman scored when left fielder Dane Bubela dropped a fly ball for a rare Rice error. It was only the team's 14th error of the season.
The ejection was the first for Trapasso as head coach. He said he was tossed twice as an assistant.
The series continues today at 10 a.m. Hawai'i time.
