Wild pitch lifts Bruins over 'Bows

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

UCLA pounded 10 hits, but a pass ball and wild pitch in the top of the ninth scored the go-ahead run as the Bruins beat Hawai'i, 5-4, in collegiate baseball last night.

Hawai'i's Brent Cook beats the pickoff attempt by UCLA's David Johnson as Wes Whisler takes the throw. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

"It's just bad luck those two pitches get away from Bocky (catcher Brian Bock) that cost us a run," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "But you have to (pitch) those (freshmen) at some point. With (starting pitchers Justin) Azze and Colby (Summer) out, we're going to be a little thin, as far as experience goes."

UCLA right-hander David Johnson (1-0) made his season debut by pitching 2á innings of scoreless relief for starter Mike Kunes. With two out in the ninth, Josh Green singled to represent the tying run, but Johnson struck out pinch-hitter Jaziel Mendoza to end the game.

The Bruins (3-3) evened the series against the Rainbows (1-1) before 2,033 at Les Murakami Stadium. For the second consecutive night, a number of fans missed the early innings while waiting in line to enter. Only one ticket window was open.

While spectators' patience were tested, so were the UCLA batters. Against UH starter Justin Cayetano, more of an off-speed pitcher, the Bruins weren't out to yank pitches. Instead, they waited on him, hitting the opposite way.

Right-handed hitting Preston Griffin led off with a single to left-center and one out later, left-handed hitting Wes Whisler grounded a single to left. After Billy Susdorf struck out and a pass ball advanced the runners, right-handed hitting Chris Denove lined a two-run double to right-center to give UCLA a 2-0 lead.

After a perfect second inning by Cayetano, the Bruins again hit the opposite field to get one of their two runs.

"They really stuck to their plan on being patient and letting the ball travel against a guy like Cayetano," explained Trapasso. "They knew if they were going to pull things, they would be in trouble."

Added UCLA coach Gary Adams: "You have to be patient against him because (Cayetano) has good offspeed stuff and he locates his pitches well. If you go up thinking of pulling that guy, you're in trouble."

Cayetano pitched six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits. He didn't allow a walk and had six strikeouts. He was a probable for today's game, but was pushed ahead because of Summer's elbow tendinitis.

Although the Rainbows were out-hit 10-5, they managed six walks and two hit batsmen. Green had a sacrifice fly and RBI double and Brian Finegan had an RBI double.

"We made plenty mistakes," Trapasso said. "I told our guys we can take this as a positive. We get out-hit 10 to 5, but were right there in the game. It could've done some things the right way, get the bunts down when we needed to and execute, we could've won that game."

After UCLA took a 2-0 lead in the first, the Rainbows tied it in the second on an error and Finegan's RBI double. UCLA added two more in the third on Whisler's and Denove's RBI singles, while UH closed to one in the bottom half of the third on Green's sacrifice fly.

The Rainbows tied the score in the fifth against Kunes. Schafer Magana was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, took second on Isaac Omura's sacrifice and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Brent Cook walked, Green doubled to right-center to tie the score at 4.

Olsen came in from the seventh inning. Unlike Friday when freshman Guy McDowell was summoned with a six-run lead, Olsen entered in a pressure situation.

"He's a guy we felt was a good fit, which he was because he has a good curve ball," Trapasso said. "I knew we were going to have that possibility of wildness and nervousness, but by the time he's in his third inning he should be fine."

Johnson retired the first two Rainbows in the bottom of the ninth before Green grounded a single to right. Trapasso sent up the left-handed hitting Mendoza to pinch-hit for right-handed hitting Rocky Russo. Mendoza, the projected starting left fielder, has been out with a hamstring tear. He is supposed to be a power threat. But Johnson got ahead 0-2 and struck out Mendoza to end the game.

"It was more going with the lefty because Johnson was throwing a good breaking ball and it was tough on our right-handers," Trapasso said. "We were going with percentages and, yeah, we were hoping he would run into one, hit one off the scoreboard because he has that kind of power."

Game time today is 1:05 p.m. Ricky Bauer will start for UH against Casey Janssen (0-0). Both are right-handers.

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