'Bows sweep Seminoles
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
The sweep smell of success emanating from Les Murakami Stadium yesterday came from Hawai'i's 9-6 comeback win against nationally ranked Florida State, giving the Rainbows their first series sweep of the season.
Andrew Shimabuku • The Honolulu Advertiser
"Thursday's game was a statement game and winning this series was a statement series," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "Being able to sweep allows us to make a statement that says if we can play at this level, then we can play with anybody. It was a team series because every game there was a different hero."
Hawai'i's Jose Castaneda, middle, is congratulated by teammates after his grand slam in the fourth against Florida State.
A crowd of 1,063 saw the Seminoles (21-4) jump to a 4-0 lead with two-run first and second innings against UH starter Justin Costi. But the Rainbows (12-8) sent 10 batters to the plate in a seven-run fourth, highlighted by Jose Castaneda's grand slam to left over the back wall to put UH ahead, 7-4.
"Off the bat, I knew it was going to go," said Castaneda, who had the game-winning RBI single in Friday's 7-6 win. "I got a good piece of it."
But for the second game in a row, it was the bullpen that came through. Guy McDowell (2-0) allowed a hit and two walks with two strikeouts in 1¡ innings and Darrell Fisherbaugh added three hitless innings, allowing a walk, for his first save. The sophomore right-hander led the team with six saves last year. He relished pitching in the tight game.
"It's great to be back in it because in the beginning of the season, I wasn't as strong as I am now," Fisherbaugh said. "I'm getting accustomed to it again."
The Rainbows' fourth win in a row also was the first during day hours. But a morning downpour delayed the start by 1 hour, 19 minutes, as the grounds crew repaired the muddy areas around home plate and the bases. Then the Seminoles, trying to avert a three-game sweep, swamped Costi early.
But the offense bailed him out with the seven-run fourth that began with a lead-off double by Isaac Omura against FSU starter Hunter Jones. Luis Avila followed with an RBI single, taking second when the right fielder mishandled the ball, and taking third on a wild pitch. Matt Inouye and Rocky Russo came back with successive doubles to pull UH to 4-3 and end Jones' day.
Brian Schultz didn't fare any better, as Jeff Piaskowski's single sent Russo to third before Adam Roberts' hit batsman loaded the bases, setting up Castaneda's slam that made it 7-4.
Andrew Shimabuku • The Honolulu Advertiser
Joe Spiers singled, and after Erik Ammon struck out, was caught stealing for the first time this season in 19 tries. Schultz struck out Omura to end the inning. (Spiers was 7 of 8 in stolen bases in the series.)
"Off the bat, I knew it was going to go," said UH's Jose Castaneda of his grand slam to left field.
Schultz (0-1) was charged with four runs in 3 1/3 innings.
After putting up two scoreless innings, Costi faltered with two outs in the fifth, when he walked Daniel Wardell and gave up back-to-back RBI doubles to Bryan Henry and Ryne Jernigan, pulling FSU to 7-6. One out short of completing the minimum five innings to get credit for the win, Costi was pulled for McDowell, who struck out Nick Francis on three pitches to hold UH's lead.
Costi was charged with six runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
"I hated taking him out because he's an out away from being eligible for the win, but you can't think about that," Trapasso said. "It's a team win, not an individual win."
After pitching a scoreless sixth, McDowell walked the first two batters to start the seventh and was pulled for Fisherbaugh, who got Henry to ground into a force at second and Jernigan to ground into an inning-ending double play to shortstop.
The Rainbows added two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh.
After allowing a lead-off walk in the eighth, Fisherbaugh retired the next six in a row.
The Seminoles swept five at UH-Hilo and took one against Division II Hawai'i Pacific before the UH series. They arrived here ranked as high as third by Collegiate Baseball and as low as 17th by Baseball America.
The sweep was gratifying for a team that was held to three hits 11 days ago against provisional Division I UC Davis in a 3-2 loss.
"The key now is understanding how we got here, with hard work and a good offensive approach and pitching well and playing defense," Trapasso said.
Next up for the Rainbows is yet another nationally ranked team in Winthrop (Rock Hill, S.C.) on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Eagles (15-4), the favorite to win the Big South Conference, are ranked 30th by Collegiate Baseball and 32nd by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. They are playing today at Pepperdine's Yellow Book USA Classic tournament in Malibu, Calif.
Stephen Bryant (4-0), who has not allowed a run in 20 consecutive innings and no earned runs in his last 25 2/3 innings, is tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday and Colby Summer (1-0) on Wednesday, Trapasso said. Bryant threw 100 pitches in his seven-inning outing against FSU in Thursday's 15-0 win.
Then the Rainbows open Western Athletic Conference play Friday when they host Louisiana Tech.
Trapasso is considering Steven Wright (2-2), who allowed a run in 6 2/3 innings of relief in Friday's 7-6 win against FSU, for the WAC opener with Bryant to come back for the third game. He said either Ricky Bauer or Costi could pitch Saturday.
"We can enjoy (the sweep) today and tomorrow," Trapasso said. "But we have to get back to work on Monday because we're playing a team every bit as good as anybody we've played, including Florida State or (Louisiana) Lafayette because (Winthrop) ranked in most of the polls. It doesn't get any easier."
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
