Monday, May 4, 1998
’Bows swept,
slim playoff hopes fade
Star-Bulletin staffSAN DIEGO -- The University of Hawaii Rainbows struck out yesterday in their attempt to prevent a weekend sweep at the hands of the San Diego State Aztecs.
Twice the Rainbows battled back, but fell one run short, 8-7, in the finale of the three-game Western Athletic Conference series.
With the victory, the Aztecs (30-20 overall, 17-9 WAC) moved into first place in the West Division, one game ahead of Fresno State.
The loss left Hawaii (32-21, 10-17) one game away from being eliminated from having any chance at securing a WAC tournament berth.
The Aztecs took early 2-0 and 4-1 leads, but the Rainbows scored runs on Jamie Aloy's RBI single in the third inning and Michael Dartt's single to left in the fourth. Darren Blakely's tremendous home run over the center-field fence with Tracy Nakano aboard tied the score at 4-4 in the fifth inning.
However, San Diego State reached relievers Ikaika Baptista and Randon Ho for four runs in the sixth, which proved to be just enough to send the Rainbows to their fifth consecutive defeat.
Nakano's infield single scored Neal Honma in the seventh to cut San Diego State's lead to 8-5.
In the top of the ninth, Honma and Aloy singled and Nakano walked to load the bases with no outs. Blakely's fielder's choice grounder scored Honma and Aloy came home on a throwing error by Aztecs shortstop Adrian Mora.
Blakely then got into scoring position by stealing second base.
But San Diego State's fourth pitcher, Ruben Aguilera, bore down and fanned Greg Millichap swinging on a full count and got Dartt swinging on a 1-2 count to end the game.
They were the 13th and 14th strikeouts recorded by the Aztecs in the game, giving them 44 in the series.
"I'm quite satisfied with the way we played, especially coming back they way we did," Rainbow head coach Les Murakami said. "We played hard this whole week. It wasn't that we didn't give it our best shot."
Patrick McNair started for UH and lasted longer than his four-batter outing against Fresno State last Monday. He was nicked for eight hits in 223 innings, but the only solid blow was a triple by Oscar Lopez, the last batter he faced.
Ikaika Baptista came on to strand Lopez at third and get through the next two innings before hitting the leadoff batter in the sixth. A sacrifice and Mora's single broke the tie.
Randon Ho relieved Baptista, walked the first batter, gave up a run-scoring double to Kalin Foulds, a run-scoring grounder to Robert Womack and an RBI single to Alex Pelaez.
Aloy went 4-for-5 and Blakely, Dartt and Matt Wheeler each had two hits for UH.
"That first night killed us," Murakami said. "That was one of the most devastating losses we've ever had. But, we'll come home and play hard this weekend."
It is difficult to imagine the University of Hawaii baseball team still being able to qualify for an at-large berth in the Western Athletic Conference tournament after its recent 1-5 road trip. UH has a shot, but a long one
It is possible, although a long shot.
Five teams are in the tournament. Only the sixth berth is up for grabs in the final week of regular-season play.
San Jose State, the Rainbows' opponent this weekend at Rainbow Stadium, is the only team that controls its destiny. If the Spartans sweep UH, they are in, no matter what any other team does.
The Rainbows would need help, the right kind of help and for starters, they would have to sweep SJSU or they can forget the playoffs.
If the 'Bows win all three this weekend, then Nevada-Las Vegas would have to win only one of three at New Mexico. That would eliminate both of those teams. Also, Brigham Young must not win more than two games from visiting Grand Canyon this weekend.
Should one or more teams tie for that sixth berth, the tiebreakers are: 1. head to head. 2. Won-lost percentage vs. WAC division winners that are common opponents. 3. Won-lost percentage vs. all WAC division winners. 4. Won-lost percentage vs. Division I nonconference common opponents. 5. Won-lost percentage vs. all nonconference opponents.
--By Al Chase WAC
West Division
Conference Overall W L Pct. GB W L Pct. y-S. Diego St. 17 9 .654 -- 30 20 .600 y-Fresno St. 16 10 .615 1 27 25 .519 San Jose St. 12 14 .462 5 30 20 .600 Hawaii 10 17 .370 70-1/2 32 21 .604
Conference Overall W L Pct. GB W L Pct. x-Gr. Canyon 15 12 .556 -- 27 23 .540 Brig. Young 11 16 .407 4 27 23 .540 Utah 9 18 .333 6 19 30 .388 Air Force 6 20 .231 8 13 36 .265
Conference Overall W L Pct. GB W L Pct. x-Rice 24 3 .889 -- 39 14 .736 y-TCU 17 9 .654 61/2 32 19 .627 Nev-Las Vegas 12 15 .444 12 29 22 .569 New Mexico 9 15 .375 13-1/2 21 28 .429x -- Clinched division title.y -- Clinched playoff berth.
San Diego State 8, Hawaii 7
San Jose State 10, Fresno State 5
Grand Canyon 6, Air Force 3
Texas Christian 10, Nevada-Las Vegas 9
WAC tournament race
Conference W L Pct. Rice (South) 24 3 .889 San Diego St. (West) 17 9 .654 Grand Canyon (North) 15 12 .556
W L Pct. Texas Christian 17 9 .654 Fresno St. 16 10 .615
W L Pct. GB San Jose St. 12 14 .462 Nev-Las Vegas 12 15 .444 1/2 Brigham Young 11 16 .407 1-1/2 New Mexico 9 15 .375 2 Hawaii 10 17 .370 2-1/2Hawaii1017 .3702-1/2
Hawaii San Diego State ab r h bi ab r h bi Martin lf 4 1 0 0 Pacheco cf 2 1 0 0 Honma rf 5 2 2 0 Kolb cf 0 0 0 0 Aloy 1b 5 1 4 1 Foulds 2b 5 3 3 1 Nakano dh 2 1 1 1 Womack dh 5 1 4 2 Takamori pr 0 0 0 0 Pelaez 3b 5 0 3 3 Blakely cf 5 2 2 3 Lopez 1b 4 0 2 1 Millichap lf 5 0 0 0 Comeaux rf 4 0 0 0 Dartt ss 5 0 2 1 Lockhart lf 3 1 1 0 Wheeler 3b 4 0 2 0 Rogers c 2 0 0 0 Aoki c 3 0 0 0 Mora ss 3 1 2 1 Whitsett ph 1 0 0 0 Stegmaier c 0 0 0 0 Totals 39 7 13 6 Totals 33 8 15 8 Hawaii 001 120 102--7 San Diego State 202 004 00x--8E--Mora.DP--UH 3 (Wheeler-Martin-Aloy, Martin-Dartt-Aloy, Blakely-Dartt-Martin), SDSU 1 (Mora-Foulds-Lopez). LOB--UH 9, SDSU 8.
2B--Foulds, Womack. 3B--Lopez. HR--Blakely (6). SB--Martin, Blakely 2, Foulds 2. SH--Kolb, Rogers.
IP H R ER BB SO McNair 2-2/3 8 4 4 1 0 Baptista (L, 2-1) 2-2/3 3 2 2 2 3 Ho 2-2/3 4 2 2 1 3 Samadani 5 7 4 4 3 6 Harang (W, 2-2) 3 4 1 1 0 6 Cook 0 2 2 1 1 0 Aguilera 1 0 0 0 0 2Cook pitched to three batters in the ninth inning.WP--McNair, Baptista, Ho. HBP--Lockhart (by Baptista).
Umpires--Solish (plate), Gilmore (first), Lopez (third).
T--3:15. A--638.
http://uhathletics.hawaii.edu
