LaTech frustrates Rainbows, 1-0
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Every Bulldog has his day and for Louisiana Tech pitcher Mitch Tucker, it was yesterday.
The junior right-hander tossed a four-hitter to stop Hawai'i, 1-0, in a classic duel with Clary Carlsen to snap the Bulldogs' nine-game losing streak and deny the Rainbows a sweep of the Western Athletic Conference series before 963 at Les Murakami Stadium.
"Today, I had all three of my pitches," said Tucker of his fastball, slider and change. "You're not blessed with that every time you go out there. I just had my best stuff out there today. You just don't have that very often."
Tucker (2-4), who walked four and stuck out seven for the first complete game of his career, wasn't trying to be modest. He entered yesterday's game with an 8.83 earned run average. Control had been a problem, as he had walked 24 in 34 2/3 innings before yesterday.
"He just threw the game of his life," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "Everything he threw had life. He was throwing two off-speed pitches for strikes. He just threw very, very well. Obviously, he probably hasn't thrown like that, maybe, ever because he didn't have the numbers coming in.
"He just beat us. It's not like we had a bad approach. It's not like we weren't locked in because we were. We just could not get into any kind of a rhythm offensively because we were never able to get anybody on base,"
Overshadowed in all of this was Carlsen (6-3), pitching his third consecutive complete game with a three-hitter. Jeff Walker, the No. 3 hitter in the lineup, had all three LaTech hits, including the game-deciding two-out, RBI single to left in the eighth inning.
"Clary pitched great," Trapasso said. "You play that game over, nine out of 10 times when you give up one run, you're going to win. You don't see 1-0 college games in baseball any more. But Clary deserved a better fate."
"Of course it's frustrating," said Carlsen, who walked three and struck out five. "Their guy had the game of his life. You can't point fingers. Our guys played hard."
The winning run reached base on the first of back-to-back hit batsmen with two out in the eighth.
Carlsen started the inning by walking Gil Laird, who was lifted for pinch runner Dusty Bastion. After Gary Holik popped out on a bunt to Carlsen, Bastion was caught stealing second on the first pitch to Mims Boyce.
With two out and the bases empty, Carlsen's next pitch hit Boyce. After a called first strike to Brandon Haygood, Carlsen hit him, too. On an 0-1 count, Walker grounded a single to left to score Boyce.
"He hit a good pitch," Carlsen said. "A ball down and in. He's just a good hitter."
Walker entered the game with a .315 batting average.
The Rainbows had an opportunity to score in the bottom of the eighth, when the lead-off batter reached. Isaac Omura lined a single to right for his second hit of the game and was replaced by pinch runner Schafer Magana. Brian Finegan then reached on a sacrifice and error, when Tucker's throw to first was off-line. With Greg Kish showing bunt, Tucker's 1-1 pitch slipped by catcher Boyce, who recovered quickly and threw Magana out at third on a close play, as Finegan took second. Trapasso went out to debate the call to no avail.
Kish ended up striking out and Matt Inouye grounded out to third, stranding the tying run at second.
"I thought he was safe; that's why I went out there," Trapasso said. "But that didn't cost us the game because we had eight other innings to score. But that one went against us and those things happen."
Andrew Sansaver had a two-out single in the ninth, but pinch hitter Josh Green grounded out on a comebacker to Tucker to end the game.
"You just have to battle toe-to-toe," Tucker said. "They have a good guy over there, too. (Carlsen) threw a great game, so when you score that run, you have to step it up one notch."
The loss dropped the second-place Rainbows 5 1/2 games behind Rice (14-1), which beat San Jose State, 5-3, to sweep that series yesterday. But UH stayed a game in front of third-place Nevada (6-6), also denied a series sweep after a 12-8 loss to Fresno State yesterday.
The Rainbows embark on their second road trip of the season. They will leave tomorrow for a non-conference game Wednesday at San Francisco, which won 2 of 3 at UH earlier in the season. Steven Wright (2-1) is scheduled to start for the Rainbows.
The Rainbows resume WAC play with a three-game series at Fresno State starting Friday. It's their first meeting of the season.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
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