LaTech beats UH with 6-run 9th
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
On a clear day, one is supposed to see forever, according to an old song. But there was no relief in sight for Hawai'i yesterday.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Rainbows' usually reliable bullpen gave up six runs in the top of the ninth inning in Louisiana Tech's 9-6 win, allowing the visitors to take 2 of 3 in the Western Athletic Conference series.
Hawai'i's Adam Roberts slides home safely after a wild pitch in the sixth as Louisiana Tech pitcher Matt Lacy covers the plate.
Hawai'i (13-12 overall, 1-2 WAC) took a 6-3 lead into the ninth, but the Bulldogs (9-15, 2-1) had three hit batsmen in a row to start the inning that paved the way for the six-run inning in which 11 batters went to the plate.
The rally negated a six-run sixth by the Rainbows in front of 1,501 at Les Murakami Stadium.
"Usually, a six-run inning can sink you," Bulldogs coach Wade Simoneaux said. "Our guys battled. I gave them the example about (12th-seeded) Wisconsin-Milwaukee's basketball team. The only reason they made it to the Sweet 16 is because they fought their butts off for 40 minutes in that basketball game (in beating fourth seeded Boston College). That's how we have to play. We're not the most talented team out there, but we have to fight to win a game."
The Rainbows had runners on base in every inning, except the ninth. Steve Alverson (2-2) pitched a perfect 1á innings with one strikeout.
"We had zero toughness all week," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "We let a 15-inning loss to Winthrop (on Tuesday) make us play like we didn't think we're very good."
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the second on Ryan Hamilton's second home run of the season, a drive to right-center off UH starter Stephen Bryant.
But the Rainbows scored six in the sixth when a walk and two singles loaded the bases to end Tech starter Andrew Lassere's day. Matt Lacy was greeted by Jeff Piaskowski's sacrifice fly to right that tied the game at 1. Adam Roberts was hit by a pitch to load the bases and set up Joe Spiers' two-run double to right-center that gave UH a 3-1 lead. A wild pitch scored Roberts before Erik Ammon walked. Lacy was replaced by Brody Love, who was greeted by Isaac Omura's two-run triple that made it 6-1. In all, 10 batters went to the plate.
The long inning might have had an effect on Bryant. After striking out the first batter in the seventh, he gave up back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases, ending his day.
It was the third start in 11 days for Bryant, who allowed five runs on 12 hits with 19 strikeouts during a span of 18¡ innings.
"Bryant pitched great," Trapasso said. "He should've got the win. The long inning got to him a little bit. I think he went out, lost his focus. He can't do that either. He's got to put up a zero after we score six."
Rich Olsen came in and Joe McCarthy's flare single to center scored one and reloaded the bases. Olsen threw a first-pitch strike then four consecutive balls to force across the second run that made it 6-3.
Olsen was lifted for Darrell Fisherbaugh, who got Brandon Haygood to ground into an inning-ending double play on one pitch.
Fisherbaugh pitched a scoreless eighth despite issuing two walks.
But in the ninth, Fisherbaugh hit Mims Boyce and McCarthy to start the inning. Guy McDowell was ushered in from the bullpen and hit pinch-hitter Brian Rike with his first pitch to load the bases.
McDowell struck out Haygood for the first out. But Adam Cobb drilled a grounder off McDowell's glove for an infield-RBI single to make it 6-4. Ben Tabor followed with a two-run single to right, leaving runners at the corners.
Gil Laird then hit a grounder to third baseman Jon Hee, who entered the game in the seventh as a defensive replacement for Roberts. Hee's throw to second for the force was wide, allowing a run and putting runners at first and second.
But McDowell walked Hamilton to load the bases and walked Albie Goulder to push across another run.
McDowell was yanked for Dean Turner, who gave up a sacrifice fly to Boyce before getting McCarthy on a fly to right to end the inning.
McDowell (2-2) was charged with four runs — two earned — on two hits and two walks.
The Rainbows start their first road trip of the season against Pacific in a single game at Stockton, Calif., tomorrow at 4:30 p.m., HST. Colby Summer (1-1, 4.06) is slated to start for UH.
Hawai'i resumes WAC play at Fresno State starting Friday.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
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