'Bows edge WSU in 10 innings, 10-9

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Luis Avila's bases-loaded RBI single with no outs in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted Hawai'i over Washington State, 10-9, last night in non-conference collegiate baseball.

"It was just a great college baseball game," UH coach Mike Trapasso said.

Avila drilled the first offering from Nick Cebula (1-2) to right to score Joe Spiers, who led off the inning with a walk.

"My last two at-bats, they threw off-speed on the first pitch," Avila said. "I got a curveball and hit it."

In the UH 10th, Spiers led off with a walk against Cebula and Troy Hanzawa was hit by a pitch. Matt Inouye, who was 0 for 5, dropped a bunt that advanced the runners, and reached first safely when second baseman Jeff Miller dropped the throw from Cebula. With the infield and outfield playing in, Avila ripped a pitch to the left of the right fielder Kaeo Rubin to end the game.

Darrell Fisherbaugh (1-0) retired eight of the nine batters he faced, striking out five in 2á innings in holding off the Cougars (6-7).

"Fish came through for us when we really needed him," Trapasso said. "You have to hand it to him. He was just outstanding. He showed fastball command tonight and the changeup was dynamite."

Not all the news was good. UH second baseman Isaac Omura was helped off the field after straining his left knee in the top of the fifth after taking a throw from the catcher on a stole base by Jason Freeman.

Schafer Magana moved from third to second to replace Omura and Jon Hee came in to replace Magana at third. It was the second injury to a UH starter in this series. On Thursday, outfielder Greg Kish sprained his right forearm, but was able to pinch hit last night.

Kish and Omura are day-to-day. The injuries come at a critical time because after UH takes tomorrow off, it plays five consecutive days in its six-team tournament starting Tuesday. Omura, who entered the game hitting .371, was 3 for 3 with a double last night to lead all UH batters.

Spiers, Avila, Magana and Ryan Asato each had two hits for UH. Spiers also had two stolen bases.

It was a battle all night between the two teams.

Washington State took a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the second against UH starter Colby Summer. But the Rainbows came back with two in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Asato and an RBI ground out by Jose Castaneda to pull to 3-2.

In the bottom of the third, UH scored four to take a 6-3 lead on a bases-loaded walk to Esteban Lopez that chased WSU starter Travis Webb and tied the game at 3. A sacrifice fly to left by Castaneda put UH ahead 4-3 and Spiers' two-run single, which extended his hitting streak to 11 games, made it 6-3.

The Cougars sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run sixth to take a 9-6 lead.

Hawai'i came back with a two-run double by Magana in the sixth that pulled the Rainbows to within one, 9-8.

The Rainbows tied it in the seventh. With one out, Spiers tripled to right and scored on a wild pitch. The game remained tied until Avila's single.

"I'm real proud of the guys for the way they fought," Trapasso said.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.