Posted on: Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Hornets sting 'Bows in 13th
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| Hawai'i's Rocky Russo lays down a bunt against Sacramento State. The Hornets beat UH, 8-5, in the Rainbow Tournament.
Photos by Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser |
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By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Brian Conradi ripped a three-run home run to left on an 0-2 pitch in the top of the 13th inning to lift Sacramento State over Hawai'i, 8-5, last night in the First Hawaii Title Rainbow Tournament.
The Hornets (6-6 overall, 1-0 in the tournament) forced UH into its fourth extra-inning game of the season before 1,072 at Les Murakami Stadium by scoring an unearned run in the top of the ninth. The Rainbows (7-6, 0-1) have dropped two in a row.
Larry Ellenbrook (0-1) started the top of the 13th by hitting David Flores with a pitch. Flores took second on Ron Machado's sacrifice. After an intentional walk to Moanalua graduate Jim Strombach (who batted 3 for 6), Conradi hit a drive over the left-field wall. Ellenbrook got the next two batters on a strikeout and groundout.
Marshall Plouffe (2-0) pitched five scoreless innings for the Hornets.
The Rainbows squandered a golden opportunity in the bottom of the 11th when they loaded the bases with no out on a hit batsman, error and intentional walk. But Plouffe struck out Schafer Magana and Isaac Omura before retiring Luis Avila a grounder to short for a force to escape unscathed.
UH led 5-3 when Guy McDowell replaced Bauer with one out in the seventh and a runner at second. After a groundout advanced the runner to third, Brett Flowers' flare single to center pulled Sacramento State to 5-4. McDowell then struck out Brian Blauser to end the inning.
In the ninth, McDowell caught Strombach's line drive for the first out, but allowed a single through the box by Conradi.
McDowell was lifted for Darrell Fisherbaugh, who got Josh Levin to hit a grounder to first baseman Avila. But Fisherbaugh dropped Avila's throw covering first, putting runners at first and second. Fisherbaugh struck out Pedro Santiago, but Flowers singled to center to tie the score at 5 before Blauser popped out to second to end the inning.
Hawai'i trailed 1-0 after the second, but tied it in the third when Joe Spiers doubled with one out, stole third and scored on Magana's double to left.
The Rainbows got three in the fourth on a squeeze by Esteban Lopez, an RBI single by Spiers and a throwing error by the third baseman after an infield single by Magana. They increased their lead to 5-1 in the fifth on an RBI double by Jose Castaneda.
The Hornets closed to 5-3 on Levin's two-run double that chased Bauer in the seventh.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
Ricky Bauer, starting on four days rest because of a short outing Thursday (2 2/3 innings), went 6 1/3 innings last night, giving up four runs on nine hits with six strikeouts.
Hawai'i catcher Erik Ammon applies the tag on Sacramento State's David Flores on this close play in the second inning.
| TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
WHERE: Les Murakami Stadium Yesterday's results
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TICKETS: $7 blue and orange sections; $6 adults red section; $5 65-older red section; $3 UH students and students ages 4-18 red section. RADIO: KKEA (1420 AM) will broadcast today's and Friday's UH games live. TV: None |
