Rainbows take to road for four games
Advertiser Staff
After watching its winning streak stopped at a season-high seven games, the University of Hawai'i baseball team will try to get back on track as it leaves today for a four-game road trip.
The Rainbows (25-20) will play a non-conference game at 11:30 a.m. (HST) tomorrow at Sacramento State (28-19). Earlier in the season, Hawai'i swept Sacramento State in three games at Les Murakami Stadium.
Hawai'i's win streak ended when it dropped a 5-3 decision Sunday to San Jose State after winning the first two games to clinch the Western Athletic Conference series.
Sacramento State won four straight from UH-Hilo after dropping the series opener to the Vulcans, whose season ended with that series.
The Hornets' modest win streak ended yesterday with a 21-13 loss to Arizona. Chris Kinsey, who allowed two runs in 7á innings in a 2-0 loss to the Rainbows on Feb. 15, gave up 15 runs in 7 1/3 yesterday.
UH's starting rotation is set with Ricky Bauer, Chris George and Keahi Rawlins, so the Rainbows will start tomorrow's game with left-hander Justin Cayetano (2-2).
He will oppose Sacramento State right-hander Steve Cuckovich (6-3), who allowed two runs in five innings in an 8-7 loss to UH on Feb. 16.
The Hornets have four players from Hawai'i, all 2002 high school graduates. Outfielder Jim Strombach (Moanalua) has started 22 of 46 games, batting .307 with nine steals. Another outfielder, Aaron Powell ('Aiea) has had limited action, but his one home run came against UH.
Shannon Kahale (Kamehameha) and Chris Mols (Roosevelt) have pitched sparingly. Kahale has logged three innings (9.00 ERA) and Mols 3 1/3 innings (10.80).
The Rainbows resume WAC play with a three-game series at Nevada (23-19, 12-5), which is second in the conference to Rice (40-7, 19-2). The Wolf Pack swept the Rainbows at Les Murakami Stadium on March 21-23.
Mateo Miramontes, who has beaten the Rainbows at UH three consecutive years, is likely to pitch Friday's game. Last year, the Rainbows tagged Miramontes for 10 runs in 6 1/3 innings at Nevada, but still lost to the Wolf Pack, 14-10.
