Posted on: Sunday, February 8, 2004
Bauer lifts Rainbows to first win of season
| • | Game statistics |
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Ricky Bauer Hawai'i fans are familiar with pitched six-hit ball over seven innings to lead the Rainbows to their first win in 2004, an 11-0 decision over Cal State Northridge last night to even the series at 1-all.
The Rainbows (1-4) executed in all phases of the game — pitching, defense and offense — to snap a five-game losing streak starting with last season's final game, and stop a three-game win streak by the Matadors (3-2) before 1,191 at Les Murakami Stadium.
Bauer (1-1) posted a career-high nine strikeouts against one walk, as he was backed by an 11-hit attack and flawless fielding.
"He was really the story," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He had a great look in his eye and he threw for strikes. He was as good as you'll see Rick."
Bauer used 90 pitches, the cap the UH coaching staff had on him. Keahi Rawlins preserved the shutout despite walking three with three strikeouts in the final two innings.
Bauer used his curve and kept his fastball away to record most of his strikeouts.
"It was mostly the fastball," Bauer said. "I think I had one or two guys on the slider. Everything else was the hard stuff away. It made my job easy. They swung at the balls and looked at the strikes. That's a pitcher's dream right there."
Batterymate Matt Inouye said Bauer "was on fire tonight."
"Everything was pretty much away," Inouye said of setting up the CSUN hitters. "We went in on them (Friday) night. We knew we could go away from them and come back in hard."
Bauer was quick to credit the offense, which scored in five of eight innings. Robbie Wilder was 3 for 5, including a two-run single in the second to jump start the scoring. Inouye moved from the nine hole to third, responding with a 2-for-4 performance, including a double and RBI single. Schafer Magana, making his season starting debut at second base, had a two-run bloop double in a four-run third and Creighton Kahoali'i had three RBIs on a third-inning sacrifice fly and eight-inning two-run double. The Rainbows also had two sacrifices (Andrew Sansaver and Inouye), two sacrifice flies (Rocky Russo and Kahoali'i) and a stolen base (Wilder).
"The key for us offensively was that we executed," Trapasso said. "We were almost flawless in our execution. We might have executed at a hundred percent."
Bauer said he noticed in pregame warmups that the batters seemed "pumped" for the game. Inouye said the team did not want to start 0-5.
"We knew it was going to happen today," Inouye said. "Nothing was going to stop us. We played hard against Texas; it kind of took the wind out of our sails on the third day, but we came back today and we knew we had to get it done. We didn't want to go 0 and 5. We had to put on a good showing today."
The Rainbows jumped on CSUN starter Kyle Jean (0-1) early, tagging him for four runs (three earned) in two-plus innings. They continued their attack on reliever Eddy Camacho, who was charged with four runs in three innings.
After Scott Sistilli and Jimmy Brettl each added a scoreless inning of relief, UH hit Joe Rocchio for three runs in the eighth, two on Kahoali'i's double.
Trapasso made some lineup changes, some in part because of the left-handed Jean and part to get the offense going. Brian Finegan moved from sixth to second, while the right-handed Greg Kish started in right. Kahoali'i got the start at third base for Russo, who was the DH.
"That's how we feel we're capable of playing and how we should play on a more consistent basis," Trapasso said. "It took to our fifth game to finally put it together."
The rubber game of the series is at 1:05 p.m. today. Hawai'i will send Steven Wright against CSUN's Craig Baker.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
