Rice shuts down 'Bows, 3-1
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff
Run support was a relative term for Rice coach Wayne Graham and Hawai'i coach Mike Trapasso.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
Freshman left-hander Joe Savery scattered seven hits over eight-plus innings to lead the nationally ranked Owls over the Rainbows, 3-1, yesterday to take 2 of 3 in the Western Athletic Conference series.
Rice shortstop Josh Rodriguez receives a throw on a force play at second base with Hawai'i runner Erik Ammon approaching in the ninth. The Owls' Joe Savery allowed seven hits in eight-plus innings for the victory.
The Owls (26-13 overall, 8-7 WAC), ranked 15th by Baseball America, went over .500 for the first time in conference play before 1,390 at Les Murakami Stadium. The Rainbows (18-22, 5-10), who are in last place at 4 1/2 games behind WAC leader Nevada (8-4), are not just looking at conference survival with 15 WAC games left.
"Let's play for pride," Trapasso said. "Let's go out and try to be better. That's not what we're doing right now. Our guys are working hard, playing hard, but we're down by two runs to the 15th-ranked team in the country with four at-bats to go. The feeling in our dugout is one of apprehension or dejection. It's been tough on everybody, but we've got to get better."
Savery (4-4) walked three with seven strikeouts. The only run he allowed was in the bottom of the fifth. With runners at first and third and one out, Rocky Russo executed a safety squeeze.
In the ninth, pinch-hitter Adam Roberts reached on second baseman Matt Moake's fielding error. Graham lifted Savery, who had thrown 123 pitches, for freshman left-hander Cole St. Clair, who retired the next three batters for his first save.
"He's pitched well every game," Graham said of Savery, who entered the game with a losing record despite a 2.32 earned run average. "We just didn't support him very well. Even today we didn't get him many runs. Every start (of his) has been a quality start."
Hawai'i pitchers know the feeling. Despite recording a 2.32 ERA in the series, the Owls were even better at 1.38 ERA. The Rainbows won 3-2 on three hits Friday; had four hits in Saturday's 4-0 loss; and had seven hits yesterday.
"Four runs, 14 hits should be a game, not a series," Trapasso said. "That's all you gotta say."
Justin Costi (1-4), who hasn't won since March 5 against Louisiana Tech, allowed three runs — two earned — on four hits and two walks in five-plus innings. He had one strikeout. Steven Wright (1¡ innings) and Darrell Fisherbaugh (2á) combined for four scoreless innings of three-hit ball.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
There was a sense of relief for Graham, whose team is trying for its ninth consecutive league title. The Owls move to Conference USA next year.
Rice's Danny Lehmann slides past Hawai'i catcher Esteban Lopez in the fifth inning at Les Murakami Stadium. The Owls won the WAC series 2-1, and will leave for Conference USA next season.
"It could've gone either way (yesterday) because Hawai'i's playing tough," Graham said. "They got good pitching. But it was crucial for us, obviously, because four of our last five series are at home, so we're not really in that bad of a position right now."
The Rainbows had several opportunities to swing the game in their favor. Singles by Nate Thurber and Luis Avila, and a two-out walk by Robbie Wilder loaded the bases against Savery in the second. But Joe Spiers flied out to right to end the inning.
In the fourth, Matt Inouye led off with a walk, stole second and Thurber walked. But Avila fouled off two bunt attempts and struck out swinging. Savery then struck out Esteban Lopez before getting Wilder to ground out to short to end the inning.
The Rainbows also wasted consecutive singles by Inouye and Thurber with two outs in the eighth before Savery got Avila on a fly out to center.
The difference offensively was the Owls executed in their few opportunities. They took a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Danny Lehman led off by reaching first on second baseman Isaac Omura's throwing error, took second on Moake's sacrifice and scored on Clay Reichenbach's single to left. But the Rainbows tied it in the bottom of the inning on Russo's safety squeeze.
Rice regained the lead in the sixth. Josh Rodriguez led off with a single and Adam Hale walked, ending Costi's day for Wright. Both runners advanced on Greg Buchanan's sacrifice and then scored on Adam Rodgers' double to right-center.
"It's a bitter-sweet feeling," Spiers said. "We played well, but we could've played better. At times, we didn't compete at the level we are capable of."
The Rainbows play at California on Wednesday before resuming WAC play at San Jose State on Friday.
Hawai'i's next homestand starts April 28 against Nevada. After 11 days off, the Rainbows play their final home series May 12-13 against Fresno State.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
