Rice tips UH for 28th win in a row
Advertiser Staff
The University of Hawai'i held Rice to its second-lowest scoring output of the season yesterday, but still fell to the top-ranked Owls, 2-0, in Western Athletic Conference baseball at Reckling Park in Houston.
Hawai'i's Ricky Bauer (2-2) held the top offensive team in the WAC to two runs in 6 2/3 innings, spacing nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Guy McDowell retired all four batters he faced.
But Jeff Niemann (8-0) and Wade Townsend combined on a four-hitter to give the Owls (31-1 overall, 11-0 WAC) their 28th consecutive win and 11th in a row against the Rainbows (17-16, 1-10) since last season.
"It's a disappointing thing because we got a good effort on the mound," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "But I'm proud of our guys, even offensively for battling. We just didn't get it done."
Niemann, a 6-foot-9 right-hander, gave up three hits in seven-plus innings with seven strikeouts, while Townsend gave up a hit and a walk, while striking out six in the final two innings for his third save.
"He was just very good," Trapasso said of Niemann's performance. "But our guys just battled. We took him to 120 pitches (114 according to Rice statistics). We took him deep into counts. But he's that good. He was too much for us."
The Owls scored with two outs in the bottom of the first. Craig Stansberry's RBI single to center came after Vincent Sinisi and Austin Davis reached on back-to-back singles.
The Owls got their next run in the fifth. Enrique Cruz led off with a single to center and took third on Justin Ruchti's ground-rule double to left. After Jeff Jorgensen's ground out to shortstop froze the runners, Cruz scored on Paul Janish's sacrifice fly to center to make it 2-0.
The Rainbows' best chance to score came against Townsend in the eighth. After Tyler Wightman led off with a single to get Niemann out of the game, Townsend struck out Kevin Gilbride, but allowed a bunt single to third by Arthur Guillen. A wild pitch on a swinging third strike to Brian Finegan put runners at second and third, but Townsend struck out Andrew Sansaver to end the threat.
The Rainbows had the tying run reach base in the ninth after Brent Cook reached when right fielder Davis dropped a fly and a walk by Matt Inouye, but Townsend doused that threat, too, with strikeouts.
Trapasso was impressed with McDowell's outing. He inherited runners at first and second with two outs from Bauer. After a wild pitch on a 0-1 count, McDowell got Sinisi to roll out to first to end the inning.
"He came in a tough situation to go against what might be the best hitter in the country," Trapasso said. "He kept us in it and gave us a chance to get on the board and try to tie it. He's coming on."
Trapasso altered the back half of the lineup yesterday, hoping to counter Niemann's nasty slider. Inouye moved to the fifth spot (drew two walks), Tyler Wightman started in left field (single and hit batsman), Gilbride started at DH (walk) and Guillen started in center field (bunt single).
"We felt it was important with Niemann and his breaking ball," Trapasso said. "The right-handers (hitters) are really struggling against him. He's really got an unhittable slider when he's got it going."
The Rainbows need to avert a sweep to prevent from dropping to .500 for the first time since the second game of the season. The series finale is 8 a.m. today (Hawai'i time). Chris George (4-4) will start for UH against Rice's Josh Baker (6-0).
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