Nevada's late rally beats UH, 4-3
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Just when it appeared to pull out of the doldrums, the University of Hawai'i baseball team got sucked back in.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
Justin Cayetano pitched seven strong innings and Andrew Sansaver crushed a two-run home run off the fence surrounding the electric generators beyond right-center field, but their efforts were not enough as Nevada rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat Hawai'i, 4-3, yesterday to complete a Western Athletic Conference series sweep.
Nevada catcher Brett Hayes tags UH's Josh Green on a failed squeeze by Brian Finegan.
The Rainbows (1-8 WAC, 14-12 overall) dropped their fourth in a row overall and seventh consecutive WAC game in front of 1,040 at Les Murakami Stadium. They have lost nine of their last 12, while the Wolf Pack (4-2, 12-13) have won eight of their last 11 to pull into second place in the WAC.
The Wolf Pack rally started when pinch hitter Mike Hass reached on an infield single to short on a 2-2 count against closer Clary Carlsen (1-2). On a 1-2 count, Carlsen's pitch appeared to be over the plate, but was called a ball. That did not matter, said UH coach Mike Trapasso.
"You don't get him struck out, you still have to play the whole game," he said. "We didn't and they did. That's baseball."
• What: 28th Rainbow Easter Baseball Tournament • When: Tomorrow-Saturday • Where: Les Murakami Stadium • Who: Hawai'i, Air Force, Western Illinois, Lewis-Clark State • Tickets: $7 blue and orange levels; $6 red level for adults; $5 red level for 65 and older, UH students, students K-12 • Parking: $3 • Radio/TV: KKEA 1420 AM and K5 will broadcast all UH games live • Tournament history: UH has won 11 times, the last in 1999; Lewis-Clark State has won four times, the last in 2001 (sharing it with UC Santa Barbara); Air Force and Western Illinois are making tournament debuts • Schedule: Tuesday—USAF vs. L-C State, 2:30 p.m.; Western Illinois vs. Hawai'i, 6:35 Wednesday—USAF vs. Western Illinois, 2:30 p.m.; L-C State vs. Hawai'i, 6:35 Thursday—Western Illinois vs. L-C State, 2:30 p.m.; USAF vs. Hawai'i, 6:35 Friday—Semifinals, 2:30 p.m. and 6:35 Saturday—2:30 p.m. and 6:35. • Note: UH will play 6:35 p.m. games Friday and Saturday regardless of seeding.
After Hass' single, Erick Streelman, whose two-run home run Saturday night beat UH, 6-4, lined a single to center to put runners at first and second. Jacob Butler hit a bunt pop out to Carlsen and Tony Cappuccilli's fly out to deep center advanced Hass to third.
Easter Tournament
Robert Marcial then pulled a grounder to the right of shortstop Brian Finegan. The lateral movement and depth of the hit were enough for Marcial to beat Finegan's throw for an RBI single that tied the score. Carlsen walked Ryan Strain on four pitches to load the bases then hit Brett Hayes on a 1-1 pitch to force home the go-ahead run. Chris Dickerson grounded to first to end the inning.
The Rainbows trailed from the start thanks to Kevin Kouzmanoff's two-run double in the first inning. Cayetano shut out Nevada the next six innings while UH closed to 2-1 on Brent Cook's solo home run in the fourth then took a 3-2 lead on Sansaver's two-run shot in the seventh. (A security guard stationed by the road behind the outfield fence said the ball hit the generator's fence on the fly.)
Both homers came against Eddie Bonine (2-4), who gave up three runs on eight hits and a walk in eight innings. Cayetano allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Carlsen replaced Cayetano to start the eighth inning.
"He was outstanding and got himself back on track," Trapasso said of Cayetano, who worked at least five innings for the first time in his last four starts. "He's going to help us because we have 30 more games to go. We just have to keep working and we gotta play the whole game. We can't play 8 2/3 and two strikes."
Cayetano said his most effective pitch was a curve ball, which he was able to move to either side of the plate.
"I was catching a lot of batters off-balance," he said.
UH hitters were not as effective. Josh Green and Sansaver combined for seven of the team's nine hits. Green, who was hitless in his previous 16 at-bats, went 4-for-4 while batting seventh. Sansaver, batting ninth, went 3-for-3. He lost an apparent RBI and possible double in the fifth inning when his line drive off base umpire Chad McCardell caromed toward shallow right for a single.
Advertiser library photo • Jan. 31, 2003
Green scored easily, but had to return to second because the ball was ruled dead because it hit the umpire in the field of play. With the runner at second, McCardell was stationed closer to second base. Sansaver's liner was headed toward the right-center alley. But it was a fruitless day for the rest of the UH batters.
Justin Cayetano said his most effective pitch was a curve ball, which he was able to move to either side of the plate.
"Basically, we're just not getting the job done," said left fielder and co-captain Cook. "Three runs in college baseball doesn't really cut it. Cayetano threw real well today. There's no reason why we shouldn't score more than three runs off that pitcher we faced. That's the way it goes. We're in a funk right now. We just have to work out of this."
EASTER TOURNAMENT
• Spring break: Hawai'i will host the annual tournament for the last time during the school break.
Western Illinois, Air Force and Lewis-Clark State will join UH in the round-robin format.
UH will send Ricky Bauer to start the opener against Western Illinois tomorrow night. The tournament will run through Saturday.
From next year, the tournament will move to the first week of March to attract teams that are likely to be available before they start conference play.
Next year's four-team field will have Trapasso's alma mater, Oklahoma State, along with Oregon State and Chicago State.
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