UH fourth in WAC after loss to Nevada

Advertiser Staff

Freshman right-hander Ryan Rodriguez pitched 6 2/3 strong innings at hitters-friendly Peccole Park to lead Nevada over Hawai'i, 10-3, yesterday to win the Western Athletic Conference series at Reno, Nev.

With four games left, UH's goal of 35 wins for consideration of a regional berth has become a mathematical impossibility. Its other goal of finishing second in the WAC is a slim possibility.

With Fresno State's 11-4 win against WAC champion Rice yesterday, the Rainbows (13-13 WAC, 30-21 overall) fell from second place to fourth. The Bulldogs (14-12) moved into second a half-game ahead of the Wolf Pack (14-13), which is a half-game ahead of UH.

After tomorrow's non-conference game at Pacific (8 a.m., HST, on KKEA 1420 AM), the Rainbows close out at San Jose State this weekend, while Nevada visits Fresno State. The rainout between UH and Fresno State will not be made up, UH coach Mike Trapasso said.

For UH to finish in sole possession of second, the following must occur:

• Hawai'i needs to sweep to finish at 16-13.
• Neither Fresno State nor Nevada sweeps the series because one of them would have 17 wins to clinch second.
• Nevada wins 2 of 3 from Fresno State to finish 16-14, a half-game behind UH. If Fresno State wins 2 of 3, it would be 16-13 and share second with UH.

"We'll have our work cut out for us because we have to sweep," Trapasso said.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez (5-7) continued his mastery of the Rainbows. He allowed three runs in seven innings in beating UH, 8-3, on May 1 at UH. Yesterday, he allowed three runs on nine hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Ryan Harbaugh picked up the last 2 1/3 scoreless innings for his first save.

Clary Carlsen (6-7) was tagged for 10 runs — eight earned — in 6 2/3 innings, allowing 10 hits and three walks with one strikeout. Steven Wright pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.

Each team had 10 hits, but the Wolf Pack was more efficient. Robert Marcial had four RBIs on a two-run home run in the fourth and two-run single in the seventh. Brett Hayes was 3 for 4 with a solo home run in the third and Jacob Butler had a two-run double in the first.

"They got the job done," Trapasso said. "We got three runs on 10 hits, whereas every time they got a hit, they scored a run,"

Matt Inouye and Jaziel Mendoza each had two hits for UH. Inouye had a two-out triple in the first, but was stranded, and Mendoza scored after his one-out double on Rocky Russo's RBI single in the fourth.

Because Wright pitched yesterday, Trapasso was not certain who would start tomorrow at Pacific (20-33).

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