Second-ranked Rice tops Hawai'i
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Rice put on another fundamentally sound show in beating Hawai'i, 9-2, last night to extend its winning streak to 15.
The Owls (18-1) remained perfect in the Western Athletic Conference at 5-0 in beating the Rainbows (1-4, 13-7) for the eighth consecutive time dating to last season in front of 2,551 at Les Murakami Stadium, the second largest turnout of the season.
Rice, ranked second by Baseball America, entered the series having committed just four errors. It was flawless again last night, making plays behind starter Philip Humber (5-0), who allowed a run on five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in eight innings. Lance Pendleton allowed a run on a bases-loaded balk in the ninth.
Evidence of the Owls' defense was a play shortstop Paul Janish made of a scorching grounder off the bat of Josh Green with two out and the bases loaded. Janish, playing with a sore foot, gloved the grounder that forced him to his knees because of the momentum, and tossed to second baseman Enrique Cruz for the force to end the inning.
Rice coach Wayne Graham said this is the best fielding team he has had in his 12 seasons as coach of the Owls.
"Janish is hurt and he still makes plays," Graham said.
Janish said the defense is relaxed and that is the reason the players don't make as many errors.
"Right now we're in the zone playing defense," Janish said. "It's going pretty well for us."
The same could not be said for the Rainbows, who were charged with three errors last night. They got off to a bad start when UH starter Justin Cayetano fielded a hard, one-hopper off lead-off batter Jeff Jorgensen's bat. His throw to first was in the dirt, and Andrew Sansaver, who has deftly scooped throws out of the dirt all season, could not come up with the ball. It resulted in a two-base throwing error that paved the way for a two-run first inning.
The Owls sent eight batters to the plate in a four-run fifth in which the Rainbows committed two errors.
The errors were the kind of help a good-hitting Rice team didn't need to support a very effective Humber.
UH center fielder Tim Montgomery said Humber mixed his pitches well to keep the Rainbows off-balanced. Humber did not allow successive base runners until the eighth, when he gave up back-to-back singles with two out to Sansaver and Brent Cook. His third walk of the game — he had allowed two in 28á innings entering the game — loaded the bases that set up Janish's stop on Green's grounder.
The Rainbows' run off Humber came in the third that pulled them to 2-1.
Matt Inouye led off with a walk, took second when Isaac Omura grounded out to first, advanced to third on a balk and scored on Brian Finegan's ground out to shortstop.
Hawai'i did not score again until the ninth against reliever Lance Pendleton. With one out, Montgomery walked and Inouye lined a single to left-center to put runners at first and second. Omura reached safely on a fielder's choice when Inouye beat Pendleton's throw to second. Pendleton balked home the run before striking out Finegan and getting Sansaver to ground out to second to end the game.
Every Rice starter, save for designated hitter Matt Emerson, had at least one hit among the 13 total. Chris Kolkhorst was 3 for 4 with two RBI, while Blackinton was 2 for 3 with a solo home run in the seventh.
It was Rice's first home run of the series and 12th of the season. Hawai'i entered the game with 17 home runs.
In fact, the Owls have been using sacrifices and steals in the series, rather than clubbing the ball like last year. For a reason, Graham said.
"Hitting comes and goes," he said. "They start crushing the ball, I'll shut down the small game, let 'em hit it."
The Rainbows will try to avert a sweep at 1:05 p.m. today. Right-hander Ricky Bauer (1-0) will pitch for UH against Rice's Josh Baker (3-0), a 6-foot-5 right-hander.
Note: The game's start was delayed 18 minutes because lights behind the first base stands went out.
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