Rainbows get no relief in 17-10 loss to Nevada

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i's usually reliable relief pitchers were tagged for 11 runs in the eighth inning to let Nevada rally to a 17-10 Western Athletic Conference win yesterday at Peccole Park in Reno, Nev.

The Rainbows (12-12 WAC, 29-20 overall) have lost four in a row and are still winless at Nevada (13-12, 29-25) in four seasons (0-10).

Hawai'i's top three relief pitchers — Guy McDowell, Darrell Fisherbaugh and Clary Carlsen (the No. 3 starter is usually on stand-by relief for the first two games of a series) — got only two outs in the inning before Steven Wright got the final out from the 15th batter of the inning.

It was the kind of Nevada day that visiting teams cringe over.

"The conditions out here were a joke today," said UH coach Mike Trapasso, referring to the wind-aided home runs.

Joe Mercer hit two of the Wolf Pack's five home runs. He had a three-run homer in the first and a solo in the eighth that ignited the 11-run inning. Jacob Butler, Chris Gimenez and Erick Streelman also homered for Nevada.

Isaac Omura and Nate Thurber hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning for UH.

Left-hander Patrick Mason (5-3), allowed three runs, two earned, in 3á innings of relief, was the beneficiary of the rally.

McDowell started the eighth by getting Butler on a grounder. But Mercer connected on his second home run of the game and McDowell walked the next two batters before being lifted for Fisherbaugh.

"He was shell-shocked and couldn't throw strikes after (the home run)," Trapasso said of McDowell.

Fisherbaugh (0-3) came in and did his job by getting hitters to hit grounders, but three of them were high choppers off the home plate area dirt that bounced over third base for singles. One loaded the bases and two others each drove in two runs.

Starter Ricky Bauer pitched seven innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He departed after the Rainbows widened their lead to 10-6 with a three-run top of the eighth inning.

Hawai'i right fielder Greg Kish was ejected after getting called out on strikes in the fourth inning. Trapasso said he felt the umpire "had a quick trigger."

Two Nevada assistant coaches also were ejected.

The series continues at 10 a.m., HST, today. The game will be broadcast live on KKEA (AM 1420).