'Bows win Easter opener, 9-1
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Catcher Brian Bock caught eight of nine innings last night, yet it felt like a day off.
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That's because Ricky Bauer was in command, scattering six hits in pitching Hawai'i over Western Illinois, 9-1, last night in the Rainbow Easter Baseball Tournament.
Hawai'i shortstop Brian Finegan throws out a Western Illinois runner in the opening round of play of the Rainbow Easter Baseball Tournament at Les Murakami Stadium.
Bauer (2-2) used 75 pitches, 14 were called balls, in hurling his first complete game of the season to help UH (15-12) snap a four-game losing streak before 984 at Les Murakami Stadium. He had six strikeouts and no walks, but did hit a batter. Bauer faced four batters over the minimum and was backed by three double plays.
"It can be hard at times when guys are all over the place," Bock said. "But tonight, Ricky was (like, I'd) call it inside, he'd throw it inside, call it outside, he'd throw it outside, call it down, he'd throw it down. It's fun, it's a real treat. Just sit back. It's almost like a day off. Just put the glove up and let 'em go to work."
Bauer said he used mostly fastballs, spotting them in different areas, while getting his curve over for strikes.
"I was busting them in (with the fastball) and throwing off-speed away," Bauer said. "They were fishing for it."
He had 13 grounders accounting for 16 outs with the three double plays and five air outs.
"When you talk about forcing contact and throwing all your pitches for strikes, that's what he did," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He controlled the game from the beginning. I'm happy for him because that's a great performance. I'm hoping that that can get him going now. Two of his last three starts, he's really pitched well. Hopefully, he can pitch like that the rest of the way. That would be a big boost for us."
Only once did Bauer reach double-digits in pitches in an inning. He threw 11 pitches in the eighth inning, when he gave up a one-out double to Pete Tronick and a wild pitch, but stranded the runner by getting a lineout to second baseman Isaac Omura and striking out Ryan Schmidgall to end the inning.
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The only run he allowed was in the sixth, when he hit Tronick with a pitch to start the inning and gave up a single to Dustin Stambaugh. After the runners advanced on Schmidgall's sacrifice, Tronick scored as Clint Buchen grounded to first with first baseman Andrew Sansaver ranging wide to field the ball and throwing to Bauer covering the base for the out.
Western Illinois catcher Pete Tronick tags out Hawai'i's Andrew Sansaver at the plate in the second inning. Hawai'i won, 9-1.
Granted, the Leathernecks (9-11), who went 2-3 at UH-Hilo before arriving here, are not of the caliber of Western Athletic Conference teams. Hawai'i is 14-4 against non-conference teams. But Bauer still had to make good pitches, Bock said.
"These guys aren't the greatest team, but you still have to go out there and get it done," Bock said. "He just let them ground themselves out, didn't try for strikeouts. That's how he kept the pitch count down. He knew if he got ahead, just keep it low, (the fielders will) get the groundouts and that's what he did."
Bauer also had offensive support. The Rainbows posted double-digit hits (14) for the first time since beating Hawai'i Pacific, 8-4, on March 11, when they had 11 hits. Half their hits last night went for extra bases.
"When the offense can put a little run support behind you, you're not scared to go out there and throw the ball," Bauer said.
The Rainbows had four triples (two shy of the school record), two doubles and a home run. Omura started the scoring with an RBI triple to ignite a three-run second inning. Sansaver had an RBI ground-rule double in that inning, as well as a triple later in the seventh that was followed by an RBI triple by Brent Cook. Tim Montgomery hit his team-leading fifth home run, a solo shot to left in the seventh, and Tyler Wightman had a double.
Steve Whitson (4-3) gave up five runs in 3 1/3 innings for Western Illinois.
The tournament continues today with Western Illinois playing Air Force at 2:30 p.m. and Hawai'i playing Lewis-Clark State at 6:35. Nick Ponomarenko will start for UH and Lewis-Clark State will use right-hander Marc Kaiser, a transfer from Arizona.
• UHH beats 'em, too: James Onaga pitched a seven-inning four-hitter as the University of Hawai'i-Hilo defeated Western Illinois, 2-1, yesterday in the Vulcans' final home game of the season.
Onaga, a 6-foot-4 sophomore right-hander out of St. Joseph High School, faced 25 batters (four over the seven-inning minimum). He walked one and struck out two.
Onaga (1-0), who has been nursing an injured arm, held off Western Illinois' comeback bid in the seventh.
After the Leathernecks scored to make it 2-1, left fielder Sean Tamura fielded a hit by John Bertulis and threw out a runner at the plate to end the game.
Kaliko Oligo had two hits and scored a run for Hilo (8-29).
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