Rainbow baseball team loses after two power outages
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
A crowd of 599 was left in the dark because of a power outage that apparently sapped the energy from Hawai'i in a 6-3 loss to Sacramento State last night in a non-conference game last night at Les Murakami Stadium.
The two power outages — one before the game and the second four minutes into the game — totaled two hours, 21 minutes. The game ended at 11:30 p.m.
Pedro Santiago and Jimmy Strombach, a Moanalua High graduate, drove in two runs each to lead the Hornets, who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Marshall Hendon (1-2) pitched three-hit ball in five innings, allowing an unearned run, while walking none and striking out one for the Hornets (20-19). Renecke Stelzriede added four scoreless innings for his third save.
Keahi Rawlins (1-2), making his first start since March 2, lasted four-plus innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and four walks with one strikeout for the Rainbows (19-12), who had a two-game winning streak stopped.
Guy McDowell pitched the final five innings, allowing two runs one one hit and three walks with five strikeouts.
The teams play at 6:35 tonight. Steven Wright (2-1) is scheduled to start for UH tonight. The Hornets did not announce a starter.
The start of the game was delayed 41 minutes when the power went out at 6:30 p.m., five minutes before the scheduled start. After two batters up in the top of the first inning, the power went out again at 7:20 p.m. Power was restored at 8:42 p.m. and the game resumed at 9 p.m. for 1:40 delay.
Leadoff batter Craig Johnson, a former Rainbow, reached on a two-base throwing error by second baseman Schafer Magana before Rawlins struck out Brian Blauser. Before a pitch could be thrown to Jack Arroyo, the power went out. When play resumed, Johnson was caught stealing third before Rawlins threw a pitch; Johnson took off before Rawlins started his pitching motion, easily getting the runner out in a rundown. Andy Hnilo reached on third baseman Rocky Russo's fielding error, but Bret LeVier popped out to short to end the inning.
According to stadium manager Glenn Nakaya, other parts of the UH campus also lost power, including the parking structure. Ironically, the swimming pool just outside the stadium had its lights illuminating the outside of the stadium behind first base.
The Hornets broke the scoreless deadlock in the third. Blauser led off with a line single to left and Arroyo walked. Both advanced on Hnilo's sacrifice, but after LeVier lined out softly to shortstop Brian Finegan, they scored on Santiago's double to right to make it 2-0.
The Rainbows got one back in the bottom of the third. Creighton Kahoali'i reached on a bunt single to lead-off the inning and took third on pitcher Hendon's throwing error after fielding Magana's bunt. Magana reached first safely on the play. Kahoali'i scored when Finegan grounded into a double play at shortstop to make it 2-1.
Sacramento State added to its lead in the fourth. Kyle Aure reached on Russo's fielding error and Strombach reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice, when Rawlins' throw to second was late. The runners advanced on Johnson's sacrifice and Aure scored when Blauser grounded out to shortstop. Arroyo popped to short to end the inning, but the Hornets owned a 3-1 lead.
The Hornets sent eight batters to the plate in a three-run fifth. Hnilo walked to lead-off the inning, ending Rawlins' night at four-plus innings. McDowell came in and walked LeVier before Santiago sacrificed the runners. A walk to Ronnie Machado Jr. loaded the bases Aure hit a chopper to third baseman Russo, whose bobble finished any chance of getting the runner at the plate, but he still had enough time to throw out the batter at first. Strombach followed with a two-run single off first baseman Sansaver's glove to make it 6-1.
The Rainbows added two runs in the ninth on a single by Isaac Omura, but the game ended when Nate Thurber struck out looking with two men on base.
The box score will appear in tomorrow's edition of The Advertiser.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
