TCU
Hawaii-Hilo
Frogs Beat Hilo, 7-4
3/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Hilo, Hawaii - Tom Bates' three-run home run in the ninth lifted TCU to a dramatic 7-4 win over Hawaii-Hilo Thursday at Wong Stadium. The Frogs improve to 18-9 overall, 9-2 in WAC action. Hilo drops to 4-20 overall, 3-13 in WAC play.
Bates' home run - his fifth of the season - extended the TCU winning streak to five games. Ramon Moses led the inning off with a walk, then two batters later, Walter Olmstead reached when he was hit by a Sergio Reyes pitch. Bates then followed with a line drive home run down the right field line. The home run by Bates came after Hilo had tied the game at 4-4 in the eighth on a two-run home run by Ryan Petersen.
The Frogs built an early 2-0 lead, scoring a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Olmstead and Bates started the inning with back-to-back singles. After both runners advanced on a groundout, Olmstead scored on a Greg Bratton single, then Bates scored on Mike Settle's sacrifice fly. Hilo scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 2-2. Johnny Dudoit led off the fifth with a double, the first base hit of the game for the Vulcans. Dudoit scored on Billy Rayl's single, closing the deficit to one run. The Vulcans picked up the second run in the sixth on a walk and another Dudoit double.
TCU answered with single runs in the seventh and eighth inning, increasing the lead to 4-2. Terry Trofholz' solo home run in the seventh accounted for one run, then two hits and a Hilo error in the eighth lifted the Frogs to a 4-2 lead.
TCU reliever Stan Newton earned the win, his first of the year. Newton struck out two and walked one batter in 1.1 innings. TCU starter David Tombrella pitched 7.0 solid innings, allowing three runs on five hits, one walk and two strikeouts. Tombrella did not allow a base runner for the first 4.2 innings. Clayton Jerome allowed one run in 0.2 innings. Robert Shimabuku suffered the loss for Hilo. He allowed two runs, one earned in 2.0 innings. Reyes, who allowed the Bates home run, pitched 0.1 innings. Hilo starter Zebb Watts allowed three runs on eight hits in 6.2 innings.
The game was delayed an hour due to a late afternoon rain shower. The series will continue on Friday, March 23 with a single game. First pitch is scheduled for 10 p.m. central time.
Game Linescore 123 456 789 R-H-ETCU (18-9) 000 200 113 7-12-0Hilo (4-20) 000 011 020 4-7-2David Tombrella, Clayton Jerome (8), Stan Newton (8) and Jason Price. ZebbWatts, Robert Shimabuku (7), Sergio Reyes (9) and Todd Jinbo. Winningpitcher -- Newton (1-0). Losing pitcher -- Shimabuku (1-7). Save - none 2B - UHH - Dudoit 2.3B - TCU - Rivera.HR - TCU - Trofholz (1), Bates (5). UHH - Petersen (1).Time: 2:31. Attn: 150.
