Error proves costly as 'Bows fall in Nevada
Advertiser Staff
Hawai'i's luck in Reno, Nev., continues to be bad.
For the second consecutive game, an error paved the way for a big inning, as Nevada beat the Rainbows, 11-7, yesterday in Western Athletic Conference baseball.
Hawai'i (15-20 overall, 3-8 WAC) has lost 13 of 14 to the Wolf Pack (17-11, 6-2) at Peccole Park since 2001. The Rainbows are 0-3 on this road trip and 0-7 overall away from home.
Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, Hawai'i gave up six unearned runs that took away any sting from Isaac Omura's three-run home run in the top of the ninth.
Ricky Bauer, who had retired the first four batters he faced in relief of UH starter Colby Summer, walked Eric Newman with one out in the eighth. He then gave up a single to Carlos Madrid before striking out Brett Hayes.
Robert Marcial hit a fly to left that left fielder Nate Thurber dropped for a run-scoring two-base error that sent Madrid to third to make it 6-4. Jacob Butler was intentionally walked to load the bases and set up force plays at each base. But Ben Mummy hit a two-run single and Shawn Scobee hit a three-run homer to give Nevada an 11-4 lead before Baker Krukow flied out to left to end the inning.
"I really feel bad for Nate because he's playing well," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He made some nice catches out there earlier. It's just a crazy thing."
The seven-run deficit was too much for UH to overcome in the ninth. Chris Scott started his second inning of relief by hitting Adam Roberts with a pitch and allowing an infield single to Esteban Lopez (2 for 3). After Scott retired the next two batters, Omura (3 for 5) homered to left-center, his team-leading fifth of the season. Thurber (2 for 4) walked, but Matt Inouye hit a dribbler in front of the plate and was thrown out at first by the catcher to end the game.
Nevada took a 1-0 lead in the first against Summer on Mummy's RBI ground-rule double.
Hawai'i took the lead in the second on Lopez's three-run double, but Nevada closed to 3-2 in the bottom of the inning on Matthew Bowman's RBI double.
Nevada tied the score in the fifth on Butler's sacrifice fly to left and took a 5-3 lead in the sixth on an RBI single by Madrid and RBI double by Hayes.
The Rainbows trimmed their deficit to one in the seventh. Roberts led off with a double and, one out later, scored on Joe Spiers' high-hop single over shortstop.
Summer (1-3) pitched six-plus innings, allowing four runs on 12 hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Bauer was charged with six runs, all unearned, on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Peccole Park can be difficult for pitchers when the wind blows out and because the hardened infield allows high-chop hits.
"He gave us a quality start," Trapasso said of Summers. "He had good stuff today. In this park, you're going to give up runs."
Ryan Rodriguez (7-2), who leads the WAC in wins, allowed four runs on 10 hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts for Nevada. Scott pitched the final two innings, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk.
Mummy and Scobee each had three RBIs. Madrid batted 3 for 4, and scored three times.
UH relief pitcher Darrell Fisherbaugh was not available yesterday, and Trapasso declined to give a reason.
"He just wasn't going to pitch today," Trapasso said. "He's good to go tomorrow."
