Posted on: Saturday, April 9, 2005

Nevada starts early to topple UH, 7-5

Advertiser Staff

Nevada sent 10 batters to the plate in a five-run second inning to beat Hawai'i, 7-5, yesterday in Western Athletic Conference baseball at Peccole Park in Reno, Nev.

A three-run home run by Brett Hayes capped the big inning for the Wolf Pack (16-11 overall, 5-2 WAC) that supported a complete game by Tim Schoeninger, who survived a ninth-inning scare when the Rainbows (15-19, 3-7) got a three-run home run by Adam Roberts to close the deficit.

Additionally, the Rainbows are likely to lose outfielder Greg Kish for the rest of the series. He apparently aggravated a rib injury he suffered in the San Jose State series last weekend. After he singled in the eighth (he was 2 for 4), he complained of trouble breathing after reaching first base, UH coach Mike Trapasso said.

"It's been bothering him a little bit and on that swing, he couldn't breathe," Trapasso said. "He just came off the field saying, 'I think I have a broken rib' to that effect, so we'll just have to wait and see what the X-rays are, but I'd say he's out for the series."

Meanwhile, the Wolf Pack have continued their success at home against the Rainbows, who are 1-12 at Peccole, which was about 40 degrees and windy yesterday.

Hawai'i starter Stephen Bryant, who has lost three consecutive decisions since a 4-0 start, appeared to have kept the damage in the second inning to a minimum with only Baker Krukow's RBI double putting Nevada ahead, 1-0.

With runners at the corners and two outs, Carlos Madrid reached first safely on an error by second baseman Isaac Omura that brought in one run. It prolonged the inning to set up Hayes' three-run shot to left that made it 5-0.

The Rainbows tried to chip away with two in the fourth on RBI singles by Schafer Magana (3 for 4) and Roberts (2 for 4), only to see the Wolf Pack get one back on Jacob Butler's inside-the-park home run to center. The homer was made possible when center fielder Matt Inouye crashed into the wall and dropped to the ground, bringing out graduate assistant trainer Brian Wong. Inouye remained in the game.

"Butler hits an 0-2 pitch with one arm and gets it into the jet stream, blowing about 40 miles an hour," Trapasso said. "It goes about two inches over Matt's glove, he goes slamming into the wall and can't get up because it knocks the wind out of him."

Nevada added a run in the fifth to make it 7-2 before Roberts' first home run of the season made it 7-5 with one out in the ninth. Schoeninger (4-4) got the final two outs. He allowed 10 hits and a walk with four strikeouts in achieving his third complete game of the season.

Bryant (4-3) gave up seven runs, but only three earned, on nine hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in six innings for UH. Steven Wright and Guy McDowell each added a scoreless inning of relief.

"It was a tough game, but I was proud of the guys because they kept battling," Trapasso said. "It's almost a microcosm of how things have gone for us the last two, three weeks. Anything that could go wrong, did. Any break that we got was a bad break. We hit some shots and they made some diving plays. But give Nevada credit. They took advantage of the error and put up a five spot. We just have to be better."

The series resumes at 10 a.m., Hawai'i time, today. Colby Summer (1-2, 4.29) will start for UH against Ryan Rodriguez (6-2, 4.89) in a battle of right-handers.

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