Sansaver's RBI single in 13th lifts Hawai'i, 3-2
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Andrew Sansaver's bases-loaded fly ball single over left fielder Ryan Miller with two outs in the bottom of the 13th lifted Hawai'i over San Jose State, 3-2, last night in Western Athletic Conference baseball.
The Rainbows (24-19 overall, 6-13 WAC) played their longest game of the season — innings and time-wise (three hours, 52 minutes) — to match their season-high win streak of six to pull out of the WAC cellar by percentage points in front of 1,163 at Les Murakami Stadium.
In the bottom of the 13th, Schafer Magana led off with a ground single to left and took second on Matt Inouye's sacrifice. Brian Bock and Tim Montgomery drew back-to-back walks to load the bases against Jose Amaya (3-2). After a failed squeezed by Brian Finegan that forced Magana at the plate, Sansaver lofted a fly over Miller, who was playing relatively shallow against the left-handed hitter, for the game-winner.
Hawai'i freshman right-hander Guy McDowell (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief against the Spartans (20-22, 6-12).
It was the fourth extra-inning game for the Rainbows, whose other three past-regulation games went 10 innings.
Rainbows' starter Ricky Bauer turned in another superb effort, going nine innings, allowing a run on three hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
The Rainbows took a 1-0 lead in the sixth against SJSU starter Matt Durkin, the WAC Pitcher of the Week last week, on Rocky Russo's sacrifice fly to left to chase Durkin after 5 1/2 innings.
But the Spartans tied the game in the eighth. Bauer hit Nick Guerra with a pitch to start the inning. Aaron Bates then reached safely on a fielder's choice bunt when Bauer elected to go to second to get the lead runner, but his throw was too late. The runners then advanced on pinch hitter Miller's sacrifice. The Rainbows conceded the tying run by playing the infield back; Jon Heuerman's ground out to second scored Guerra with the tying run.
Freshman Rich Olsen started the 10th inning for UH and Guerra, 3 for 4 on the night, drilled a one ball, no strike pitch over the right field fence to give SJSU a 2-1 lead. That was the only run he allowed in two innings.
The Rainbows had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth when a single, followed by a fielder's choice and a parachute double by Bock put runners at second and third with one out. But Inouye, who reached on a force before Bock's double, was caught trying to score when Montgomery hit a grounder to short. Still, with runners at the corners, Brad Kilby struck out Finegan to end the inning.
Rice's 13-3 win against Louisiana Tech (6-14 WAC) put UH in fifth place, percentage points ahead of the Bulldogs.
The UH series with SJSU continues at 6:35 tonight. Chris George will pitch for UH against left-hander Frank Esposito.
