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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 11, 2003

George pitches UH past LaTech

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Dressed in its real baseball tops, the University of Hawai'i played in a more appropriate fashion than Friday to down Louisiana Tech, 8-1, last night to even their Western Athletic Conference series.

The Rainbows (27-24 overall, 8-18 WAC) excelled in all phases of the game in snapping a four-game losing streak in front of 2,484 at Les Murakami Stadium.

On Friday, the Rainbows dressed in camouflage tops for Military Appreciation Night. Only problem was they could not mount any kind of offense in a 3-1 loss.

"It's funny, we play probably our most complete game, or one of our most complete games of the year, where we got good defense, got pitching and swung the bats well," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "Just chalk it up to young guys sometimes coming out and playing well and sometimes don't. I was proud of our guys because I got into them a little last night because I didn't think our level of intensity was where it should be the last series of the year with us having a lot to play for: A .500 season or 30 wins, stuff like that. Give credit to these kids. They bounced back and really played well tonight."

Chris George (8-6) allowed a run on four hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts in 7á innings. After allowing a lead-off double in the third inning, he retired 12 in a row and 16 of 17 at one stretch before allowing a walk, an infield single and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth. But Clary Carlsen retired the next four batters to finish off the Bulldogs (17-31-1, 9-17).

Offensively, Brian Finegan ignited UH's 12-hit attack by leading off the bottom of the first with a home run off the foul pole screen in left. It was his second home run of the season, but the first at home. He was 3-for-5, which included his team-leading 17th double of the season.

"When it went off the bat, it was 'Oh, just don't hit that wind out there,' " he said of his home run. "I was hoping it wouldn't get knocked down. I never thought I'd hit a home run out of here."

Jaziel Mendoza was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Also with two hits were Brent Cook, Matt Inouye and Isaac Omura. They made short work of Bulldogs starter Adam Kirkendall (3-9), who was tagged for six runs on seven hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings.

"Last night, coach (Trapasso) gave us a little good talking," Finegan said. "That kind of motivated us. We need to get some momentum, not just for like for now, but to carry over to next year and we're trying to send these seniors off on a good note."

NOTES: Today's home season finale starts at 1:05 p.m. with Keahi Rawlins pitching for the Rainbows ... Prior to last night's game, George "Manju" Nitta, a retired city building inspector from Waipahu was presented the Chuck Leahey Memorial Award for his life-long dedication to baseball in Hawai'i. For the past 25 years, he has conducted free baseball clinics to children at the Beretania Community Park on Sundays, as well as three-day clinics around O'ahu, Maui and the Big Island.