Tide hold off Rainbows, 3-2
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Failure to execute cost Hawai'i in a 3-2 loss to Alabama yesterday in collegiate baseball at Les Murakami Stadium.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Rainbows (2-2) had the potential tying run erased on the base paths with one out in the bottom of the ninth. It was the last of a number of mistakes that helped the Crimson Tide (2-2) salvage a series split.
Hawai'i's Joseph Spiers stole third base in the first inning, but was left stranded. Spiers singled and moved to second on a wild pitch.
"Even though it was the fourth game of the season, it was a big game for us because we didn't want to be 1-3 for a team that struggled last year (29-26, 10-20 in the Southeastern Conference)," Alabama coach Jim Wells said.
Meanwhile, it was a frustrating day for the Rainbows in front of a crowd of 1,056 who saw the Rainbows fail to move runners either via sacrifice, hit-and-run or just hitting the ball to the right side.
"Our execution today was unacceptable," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "There were three or four plays that cost us the game. It's just the little things."
Trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth, Robbie Wilder led off with a four-pitch walk from David Robertston, who was then lifted for Casey Kebodeaux. Wilder took second on Joe Spiers' sacrifice, but got caught between second and third on Greg Kish's grounder to shortstop. The play happened in front of Wilder, meaning he is supposed to retreat back to second. Shortstop Cale Iorg chased and tagged Wilder, who was heading to third.
"I was just a little overaggressive," Wilder said. "Basic baseball, go back to the bag when the ball's hit in front of you."
The mistake was magnified when Isaac Omura followed with a ground single to right that sent Kish to third and most likely would have scored Wilder. Matt Inouye flied out to deep right to end the game.
"That is unacceptable and something I've never seen him do before," Trapasso said. "Nobody feels worse than Robbie doing that, but you know what? You can't do those things and be a championship team. We have to eliminate mistakes like that and a lack of execution and we will."
Hawai'i had the potential tying run thrown out at the plate in UH's two-run eighth inning. Luis Avila was tagged out at home after Esteban Lopez flied out to left.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Trapasso argued the call.
Hawai'i's Joseph Spiers makes the tag on Alabama's Allen Rice as he is picked off at second base by pitcher Justin Costi in the sixth inning.
"The angle I had, it looked like he was safe," he said. "But those things happen. That's kind of part of the game."
The play might not have been so close if a pinch runner, such as Derek Dupree, who pinch ran Thursday night, were used. Adam Roberts, who started at first base Thursday, could have replaced Avila on defense.
"Even if you tie it, this guy's been our best bat by far, so you don't want to take your best bat out of the lineup, especially from third, where you expect him to be able to score," Trapasso said of not lifting Avila, who was UH's top hitter in the series, batting 5 for 12 (.417) with three RBIs.
Alabama right-hander T.J. Large (1-0), who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, pitched 5á scoreless innings for Alabama, allowing two hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Four relievers pitched the rest of the way with Kebodeaux getting the final three outs for the save.
Right-hander Justin Costi (0-1) allowed three runs on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 6¡ innings in the JC transfer's UH debut.
Alabama took a 1-0 lead in the third on a run-scoring double by Brandon Belcher.
The Crimson Tide added two in the seventh on RBI singles by Iorg and Allen Rice.
In the UH eighth, Omura led off with a walk and Inouye singled to left to chase reliever Jordan Davis with runners at first and second for Josh Copeland.
After Rocky Russo struck out, Avila doubled to right to score Omura with Inouye stopping at third, where he scored on a wild pitch that sent Avila to third. Copeland was lifted for Robertson after the 1-0 count on pinch hitter Jose Castaneda, who walked. Lopez flied out to medium left, where left fielder Morrow Thomley threw out Avila for the inning-ending double play.
"One thing we did show was tremendous pitching for the weekend and good defense and a pretty good toughness about us," Trapasso said. "But you still feel that was a game to be had if you just did your job. I come away from the weekend with more positives than negatives but definitely disappointed."
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
