Posted on: Saturday, May 1, 2004
UH beats Nevada with fast start, 8-4
| • | Football: UH football team indifferent to UTEP's conference switch |
| • | Softball: Rainbows gain split with Lady Techsters |
| • | Tennis: Rainbows advance at WAC tourney |
| • | Game statistics & WAC standings |
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff
On a night when he didn't have his best stuff, Stephen Bryant got help from the offense to help Hawai'i fend off Nevada, 8-4, last night to clinch the Western Athletic Conference series.
The Rainbows (10-7 WAC, 26-15 overall) can keep sole possession of second place, six games behind idle Rice (16-1), with a win tonight for their first conference series sweep of the season.
"It's nice that we won the series, but it would be bittersweet if we lose tomorrow, so we need to come out tomorrow and win again," said UH catcher Creighton Kahoali'i.
It was UH's first series win against Nevada since 2001, or the first in coach Mike Trapasso's tenure. It happened in front of 1,312 at Les Murakami Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack (8-9, 23-22) dropped to fourth place behind Fresno State (8-8), a 12-10 winner over Louisiana Tech last night. It was Nevada's fourth consecutive loss.
Bryant (6-3) went six-plus innings, giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Guy McDowell inherited a runner on first and retired the three batters he faced, then tacked on two more scoreless innings for his second save.
"He admittedly didn't have his best stuff," batterymate Kahoali'i said of Bryant. "But he just battled through it. He was a warrior out there for us tonight. He was a little loose with his command, but he just battled."
Bryant gave up a second-inning run on three consecutive hard-hit balls.
Joe Mercer led off with a double, took third on a deep fly out to center and scored on Carlos Madrid's sacrifice fly to right. Even the third out by Robert Marcial was a liner to right.
After giving up a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Erick Streelman, Bryant was chased later in the inning on consecutive hits by Madrid (single), Marcial (RBI triple) and Derek McNeil (RBI infield single).
"I just didn't have command of the fastball tonight," Bryant said.
McDowell had a shaky eighth, when he walked two and Madrid loaded the bases with one out on a slow rolling single to shortstop on a check-swing. But Marcial grounded into an rally-killing double play to keep the margin at four.
"My teammates help me out there by telling me what's wrong," McDowell said of the jam. "It helps me re-focus."
"Sometime, he has a harder time starting an inning," Trapasso said. "Sometimes he has to put himself in that mode of getting in trouble, and once he gets in trouble, he gets the job done. He's how John Wetteland (former major league closer) used to be."
His ninth inning was much better. After pinch hitter Tino Psaradelis reached first on catcher's interference, McDowell struck out Brian Gazerro, and got Brett Hayes to ground into a game-ending double play.
"He started the ninth throwing out of the stretch, and threw better that way," Trapasso said.
The Rainbows, who needed 10 innings to score in Thursday's 1-0 win, tagged Nevada starter Adam Colton for four runs in the first inning. Four successive two-out hits, including RBI singles by Rocky Russo and Isaac Omura, were followed capped by a two-run double by Kahoali'i.
"We've been struggling a little bit, haven't been scoring a whole lot of runs," Kahoali'i said of the first inning. "To jump out with four runs in the first inning was big for us. We're thin right (with injuries), so it was good for us."
Hawai'i finished off Colton in the fourth in another four-run inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Andrew Sansaver off reliever Patrick Mason.
Colton (3-1) was charged with six runs on seven hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings. That Bryant was able to pitch six innings, plus three batters into the seventh, and McDowell able to tack on three innings was crucial for the Rainbows, as their closer Darrell Fisherbaugh recovers from a tender shoulder.
As he did Friday night, Clary Carlsen (6-4, 3.42) warmed up last night. He was not needed and will start tonight's 6:35 p.m. game against Nevada right-hander Ryan Rodriguez (2-6, 6.83).
"He did a great job just because he competes," Trapasso said of Bryant.
After UH's four-run fourth, the Rainbows were shut down by Nevada's third reliever, Ryan Harbaugh, who pitched two-hit ball in 41/3 innings.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
