Posted on: Sunday, March 21, 2004
Rice's Humber strikes out 17 in win over UH
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Advertiser Staff
Hawai'i's Stephen Bryant had his best outing of the season overshadowed by Rice's Phillip Humber last night.
Humber set a school record with 17 strikeouts to lead No. 5 Rice over Hawai'i, 3-0, in Western Athletic Conference baseball at Reckling Park in Houston.
The Owls (5-0 WAC, 16-5 overall) extended their win streak against the Rainbows (0-2, 14-9) to 14 spanning three seasons.
Bryant (2-2) gave UH its second eight-inning complete game in as many nights. But his effort — with season highs in innings and strikeouts (7) — was hurt by three of four UH errors that made the runs unearned. He allowed seven hits and two walks.
"He was outstanding," UH coach Mike Trapasso said of Bryant. "We'd still be out there right now if we're able to play catch. It would be zero-zero. I'm very proud of him, but also disappointed for him."
Last night belonged to Humber (4-1), who scattered four hits and two walks for his first complete game of the season. Humber, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior right-hander who is expected to be a first-round pick in the June draft, struck out the side in the first and eighth innings. He had 16 strikeouts after eight innings. He broke Allan Ramirez's record set in 1976 against Texas by striking out Andrew Sansaver to end the game. No UH runner reached third base.
"It was one of the best performances I've seen on a collegiate field in 16 years," Trapasso said.
The 17 Rainbows striking out tied a UH record set on May 1, 1998, against San Diego State.
Creighton Kahoali'i was charged with two of UH's four errors, both leading to runs in the first and fifth innings. He filled in for Rocky Russo, whose left forearm was bruised from being hit by a pitch the night before, Trapasso said. Trapasso felt Kahoali'i's bat speed was a good match against the hard-throwing Humber. Trapasso said Russo could be available today.
In the seventh, a throwing error by shortstop Brian Finegan brought in the third unearned run for the Owls.
Bryant made UH's fourth error, but he pitched himself out of that jam in the eighth inning.
The Rainbows were close against the defending national and WAC champions for the second consecutive day. But Trapasso said his team's failure to execute did not help. Along with the errors, there have been broken hit-and-run plays in the series.
"To beat a team of this caliber, you have to execute," Trapasso said. "We're closing the gap, but that's not satisfying. That's not why we're here. We're down here to win games. If we play our best game, we've got a chance to win both of those games."
The Rainbows will try to avert a sweep at 9 a.m. today. Clary Carlsen will start for UH. Rice was scheduled to start Wade Townsend, who pitched the ninth inning of Friday's game.
Hawai'i resumes its road trip with a three-game series starting Thursday against Louisiana Tech.
