In the most lopsided game of the season, Hawai'i trampled nationally ranked Florida State, 15-0, last night in nonconference collegiate baseball.
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| Isaac Omura, right, is congratulated after hitting Hawai'i's first homer of the season. UH beat Florida State, which is ranked as high as No. 3.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
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The Rainbows (10-8) had season highs in runs and hits (19) in handing the Seminoles (21-2) their worst shutout loss in their history and stopping their 13-game winning streak before 977 at Les Murakami Stadium. It was the most decisive win in UH coach Mike Trapasso's four-year tenure.
Florida State, which came off a five-game sweep at UH-Hilo and a 9-1 win against Division II Hawai'i Pacific Wednesday night, is No. 3 and No. 17 in four different rankings.
Lost in the offensive barrage was yet another strong pitching performance by Stephen Bryant, who made his debut as the No. 1 starter. Bryant (4-0) allowed one hit — a sixth-inning double by Tony Thomas Jr. — and four walks with eight strikeouts in seven innings. Colby Summer added two scoreless innings, allowing two hits. Between Bryant and Summer, no FSU runner reached third base.
"I told them, 'Just get me a few runs and this game will be over,' " said Bryant, who picked up his second Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week award Monday.
The Rainbows gave him more than a few runs.
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| Stephen Bryant |
Joe Spiers led the UH assault with a 4-for-5 performance with four runs, a double and three steals. Isaac Omura was 3 for 4, including the first home run for the team this season, with five RBIs. Matt Inouye and Luis Avila also had three hits apiece.
Omura's homer came with a strong gust blowing out toward right all night.
"I was looking for a pitch I could handle," Omura said. "That was the inning to really blow open the game and I wanted to take advantage of that opportunity. It was a little wind-aided, but, oh, well."
Spiers ignited a five-run third inning, when the Rainbows sent nine batters to the plate. With two outs, Spiers reached on a single to second, stole second and stole third while pitcher Michael Hyde still held the ball.
"The pitcher wasn't looking and the third baseman was way back," Spiers said. "I thought I could beat the third baseman."
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| Stephen Bryant, UH's new No. 1 starter, allowed one hit in seven innings against nationally ranked Florida State. Hawai'i won, 15-0.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
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"That's Joe," Trapasso said. "He's our catalyst. He goes offensively, we go a great deal of time because he was able to get on base and make things happen. He's just a great baseball player all around."
After walks to Erik Ammon and Omura loaded the bases, Avila followed with a two-run single to center, Inouye doubled in a run and Rocky Russo doubled in two to make it 5-0.
The Rainbows hammered Hyde (4-2) for three runs in the fourth, on an RBI double by Ammon and Omura's two-run homer to right. Hyde was chased in the sixth, when UH added two more runs on a wild pitch and RBI single by Omura. Hyde was charged with 10 runs on 10 hits and two walks in 5· innings.
The Rainbows had their second five-run inning in the seventh, when they sent 11 batters to the plate.
"It's always nice to take the first game," Omura said. "We practiced hard this week. We're really focused. We had some fire left over from Saturday (when UH beat nationally ranked Louisiana Lafayette). We're starting to click now. I'm really excited because we can make some things happen."
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| Mike Trapasso |
The Rainbows hope to continue focusing and clicking.
"We've played four good games in a row now," Trapasso said. "We just have to continue and go out with the same approach. If we come out flat tomorrow, we waste a great effort tonight."
All wasn't bad for FSU. Shane Robinson extended his hitting streak to 28 games with an eighth-inning single.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
