Posted on: Sunday, May 30, 2004

San Jose rallies to topple UH, 10-9

Advertiser Staff

San Jose State rallied from a 7-1 deficit to beat Hawai'i, 10-9, yesterday to clinch the Western Athletic Conference series at Blethen Field in San Jose, Calif.

The Rainbows (13-15, 31-23) conclude their season against the Spartans (10-19, 22-31-1) today at 10 a.m. HST. The game will be broadcast on KKEA (1420 AM).

With Fresno State's 8-7 win against Nevada last night, the Bulldogs (16-12 WAC) have secured second place. Hawai'i can overtake Nevada (14-15) for third by percentage points with a win today and a Wolf Pack loss.

The start of yesterday's game symbolized UH's season. Just as coach Mike Trapasso was about to exchange lineup cards, he learned that scheduled starting pitcher Stephen Bryant had back problems. Sophomore Guy McDowell was called on to make his first collegiate start.

"He's been nursing a sore back for a couple of weeks now," Trapasso said of Bryant. "Apparently, it was too bad for him to go today. I guarantee it had to be pretty painful for him because the kid's a tough kid."

Because Steven Wright pitched two innings of relief Friday, he was not available.

McDowell, who has pitched in long relief at times, lasted into the sixth inning, when he allowed two-run homers to Brandon Fromm and Ruben Martinez. Darrell Fisherbaugh came on to strike out Scott Niheu, ending the inning and protecting UH's 7-6 lead.

McDowell was charged with six runs on eight hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.

The Rainbows gave Fisher-baugh some insurance in the top of the seventh on an RBI double by Greg Kish and sacrifice fly by Jaziel Mendoza that made it 9-6.

But the Spartans scored twice in the bottom of the seventh and took the lead in the eighth on an RBI double by Niheu and an RBI single by Kevin Frandsen.

Fisherbaugh (0-4) allowed four runs on five hits with two strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings.

Brad Kilby (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the Spartans.

The Rainbows gave McDowell a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Andrew Sansaver's fourth home run of the season; all of his homers have been on the road.

The Spartans tied it at 1 on a balk by McDowell in the third.

UH jumped on starter Corey Cabral by sending nine batters to the plate in a six-run fifth. Nate Thurber and Josh Green hit run-scoring singles, while Brian Finegan added an RBI double. Then, after a walk to Greg Kish, Matt Inouye drilled a three-run home run to left that put UH up 7-1.

San Jose State got its second run in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch before mounting a comeback that netted eight runs from the sixth through eighth innings.

After his longest stint of the season, McDowell will not be available today to pitch in relief. Fisherbaugh and Wright might be available for limited work.

Clary Carlsen (6-7), at one stretch the hottest UH starter when he won four consecutive decisions and had three complete games in a row, will start today. Carlsen has lost his last three decisions.