'Bows end losing streak in doubleheader split
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Oh, what a relief it was for Ricky Bauer and the Hawai'i baseball team.
The right-hander, who began the year as a starter, hurled 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to help the Rainbows snap a seven-game losing streak with a 6-5 win against Western Athletic Conference leader San Jose State in the second game of a doubleheader yesterday.
The Spartans (16-10-1 overall, 6-2 WAC) won the opener, 6-2, in sort of the same fashion when Shane Brechmann tossed 4á scoreless innings of relief.
The doubleheader was played because of Friday's rainout.
"It was the most important thing," Bauer said of stopping the losing streak. "We were a little bit down on confidence. Hopefully, this win will spark it up."
The Rainbows (14-17, 2-6) hadn't won since their WAC opener against Louisiana Tech on March 18. A win in today's 1:05 p.m. can clinch them their first series since they swept Florida State March 10 to 12.
In the second game, a four-run second inning against SJSU starter Brandon Dewing was a start. But the Rainbows lost the 4-0 lead when starter Colby Summer gave up a solo home run to Travis Becktel in the third and was tagged for four runs in the fifth, when the Spartans batted around.
But it was Bauer who settled the game. He came in for Summer with the game tied at 4 with Anthony Contreras on first after his RBI single with one out. Bauer got Brandon Fromm to hit a grounder to first baseman Luis Avila, but his throw to second for the force was wide, putting runners at first and second. After Nate Corrick flied out to center, Chris Williamee's double scored Contreras to put the Spartans ahead, 5-4, before Bauer struck out Raul Campos.
The Rainbows tied it in the bottom of the fifth when Esteban Lopez reached on a single to third and scored on Joe Spiers' double to right-center.
Matthew Winck (1-2), who picked up for Dewing in the sixth, gave up back-to-back doubles to Schafer Magana and Luis Avila to give UH a 6-5 lead.
With Magana on second, Avila was supposed go the opposite way to advance the runner, UH coach Mike Trapasso said. But Avila said the Spartans kept pitching him inside. He drilled the 2-0 pitch on the ground by the third baseman. It was his second RBI double of the game to left.
"The first game, they were working me inside the whole game," Avila said. "Every time I got the fastball counts, they were coming in. I just made an adjustment to the pitch."
From there, it was all Bauer, who relied on his two-seamer that netted eight grounders for outs, including two double plays.
"He did the job," Summer said of Bauer. "He came in, shut the door for us."
Bauer allowed four hits with one strike out. He said doesn't mind his role.
"All roles are important," said Bauer (2-2). "If this is where they want me, I'll be happy to be here right now."
Trapasso said it's was too early to decide whether to put Bauer back in the rotation. Snapping the losing streak was the priority.
"We'll get to that," Trapasso said. "We just won our first game in two weeks. I'm happy for Rick. It's a huge, huge win for us and a huge win for him."
Making a rare appearance was Nate Thurber. He had a pinch-hit double in the first game,then started the second in left field. His two out walk ignited the UH four-run second. He also doubled in the nightcap.
"All fall and all spring, he has struggled," Trapasso said. "But he's been a tremendous leader in the dugout and in the locker room when he wasn't playing. It was probably dumb of me for not giving him a chance earlier because we haven't been hitting. But he deserved it and he's going to start tomorrow."
In the opener, Contreras batted 3 for 5 with three RBIs, including a go-ahead two-run single in the seventh for the Spartans.
Brechmann (1-0) scattered three hits, allowing no walks and striking out none. He came in the fifth with one out for starter Brandon Hennessey, inheriting runners at first and third and retired the two batters he faced to end the threat.
Stephen Bryant (4-2) gave up four runs on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts in 6á innings. He departed for Steven Wright with runners at second and third with two outs and the game tied at 2. Contreras' two-run single to greet Wright broke the tie.
The Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third against Bryant on Contreras' RBI single
The Rainbows came back with two in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double by Isaac Omura and an sacrifice fly by Matt Inouye.
But SJSU tied in the fourth on an RBI single by Williamee before breaking it open with a three-run seventh, highlighted by Contreras' two-run single. Wright, who was charged with two runs, one earned, on three hits in 2¡ innings, set a UH school record with three balks.
Hawai'i squandered a scoring opportunity in the fifth. Spiers led off with a double to right and took third on Robbie Wilder's ground out to first. With the infield drawn in, Omura hit a grounder to second. Spiers went halfway, drawing a throw home, but retreated safely back to third, allowing Omura to reach on a fielder's choice. Hennessey was replaced by Shane Brechmann. Inouye hit a grounder back to the pitcher. Spiers was caught in a rundown between third and home long enough for Omura to reach third and Inouye to take second. But Adam Roberts popped out to first on the first pitch to end the threat.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
