Five Irvine pitchers one-hit Rainbows, 2-0
Advertiser Staff
A quintet of pitchers combined on a one-hitter as UC Irvine ended its season with a 2-0 win against the University of Hawai'i in a non-conference baseball game last night at Anteater Ballpark in Irvine, Calif.
The Anteaters (21-35) delayed the Rainbows' hopes of a winning season. At 28-25, they have three chances to finish over .500 at San Jose State starting tomorrow.
Freshman Isaac Omura's one-out double to right in the ninth off Steve Schroer, the fifth UCI pitcher of the game, prevented the Rainbows from being no-hit for the fourth time in their history.
It was UH's first game since May 11. The Rainbows had been off a week for final examinations.
"We certainly played like a team that hasn't played in 10 days," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "We definitely pitched well enough to win. That's the sad thing about it when you give up two runs and can't win. We just didn't get it done offensively."
Freshman right-hander Chris Nicoll (1-2) went 3á perfect innings before walking Brent Cook. He was lifted for Phil Tripoli, who got the final out in the fourth. Kris Krise pitched two perfect innings and Ryan Edell added a perfect seventh. Schroer pitched the final two innings for his second save. The five pitched to only two batters over the minimum 27.
Nicoll was credited with the win despite not going the minimum five innings because it was predetermined his outing would be short.
The one-hitter overshadowed a strong effort by UH's pitching staff. The Rainbows entered the game 17-1 when they allowed two runs or fewer this season.
Nick Ponomarenko (4-2) allowed a run on four hits and three walks in 4¡ innings. Justin Cayetano gave up an unearned run in 1á innings and Rich Olsen and Clary Carlsen each turned in a scoreless inning.
The Anteaters broke the deadlock in the fifth inning. B. J. Eucce led off with a single and advanced to second on Gary Dudrey's sacrifice. Pinch hitter Steve Guthrie reached safely on a wild pitch on a swinging third strike that allowed Eucce to take third. Ponomarenko was lifted for Cayetano, who gave up an RBI single to Chris Klemm before striking out the next two batters to end the inning.
The Anteaters scored in the sixth when Matt Fisher walked with one out. An out later, Eucce doubled to right-center and Fisher scored when center fielder Tim Montgomery mishandled the ball for an error, making the run unearned as Cayetano struck out Dudrey to end the inning.
"Ponomarenko pitched good enough to win," Trapasso said. "He had too many walks and went deep into counts, but he made the pitches when he needed to. He deserved a better fate."
