In baseball, Nevada continues mastery of UH
Advertiser Staff
Chris Gimenez cranked three of Nevada's four home runs to batter the University of Hawai'i, 13-8, yesterday at Reno, Nev., to complete a Western Athletic Conference baseball series sweep.
Advertiser library photo • Jan. 24, 2002
Gimenez hit a solo home run to left in the fourth, a two-run smash to right-center in the fifth and a three-run shot to left that highlighted a six-run sixth against the Rainbows (26-23 overall, 7-17 WAC), who have dropped 11 in a row to Nevada dating to last season. The Wolf Pack (27-19, 15-5) are the second team to sweep a season series from the Rainbows; first-place Rice did it first.
"He just didn't have it," coach Mike Trapasso said of the usually reliable Guy McDowell.
As they did Saturday, the Rainbows jumped on Nevada's starting pitcher. Matt Inouye's two-run single off Eddie Bonine spotted UH starter Keahi Rawlins a 2-0 lead.
But Taylor Pullins tied the game with a two-run home run in the third. Gimenez's homer to lead-off the fourth gave the Wolf Pack a 3-2 lead.
Then the Rainbows sent 10 batters to the plate in a five-run fifth. Andrew Sansaver had a run-scoring double followed by Brent Cook's two-run single. Two outs later, Inouye added an RBI double and Brian Bock's RBI single put UH ahead 7-3.
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In the bottom of the sixth, Rawlins recorded his seventh strikeout to start the inning before hitting Chris Dickerson with a pitch. After getting Robert Marcial on a fly to left for the second out, Pullins' single put runners at the corners and a walk to Brett Hayes loaded the bases.
Hawai'i coach Mike Trapasso brought in the usually reliable Guy McDowell from the bullpen. But McDowell wasn't his usual self, allowing a two-run single to Kevin Kouzmanoff to tie the game and an RBI single to Erick Streelman to put the Wolf Pack ahead, 8-7. Then came Gimenez's crushing blow to make it 11-7. After a single to Jacob Butler, Justin Cayetano replaced McDowell and struck out Tony Cappuccilli to end the inning.
"He just didn't have it," Trapasso said of McDowell, who has entered games in tight situations before having earned two saves this season. "They just teed off on him. It's the first time all year he's gotten hit."
Rawlins (4-4) was charged with eight runs (two unearned) in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed eight hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
The Rainbows got a run off relief pitcher Bryan Johnson in the seventh when Jaziel Mendoza doubled and an out later, scored on Inouye's single, his third hit and fourth RBI of the day.
The Wolf Pack tagged Cayetano for two runs in the eighth when Butler walked with the bases-loaded and Ryan Strain grounded into a force play at third.
Johnson (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing a run, while Zachary Basch pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings for his ninth save.
The Rainbows return home today and will prepare for their final homestand with a three-game series with Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs beat Fresno State, 12-7, yesterday to improve to 8-16, a game ahead of the last-place Rainbows.
Hawai'i has seven games left, one a non-conference mid-week game at UC Irvine on May 21 before closing out the season with a WAC series at San Jose State on May 23-25.
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