The Tropics host the reigning Frick Champs Yellow Springs Nine for a four game series at Diamond Head.
Game 1- The Trops score two times in the home half of the sixth with the score tied at 3. Nine SP Ernesto Ramos gave up a 1-0 double to 2B Jack “Junkyard” Nichols. The next hitter, CF Michel Noel, didn’t get the job done as he grounded out 6-3. Nichols could not move to third on the ball hit in front of him to short.
Yellow Springs Manager Bill Inkster could be seen on the dugout rail hold up four fingers. C Jesus Rodriguez turned his head and told Home Plate Umpire Lane Stephens that they wanted to intentionally walk Tropic SS Fernando Rodriguez. That brought C Steffen Peterson to the plate with a man on first and third and one out. Peterson took four straight pitches for a walk to load the bases.
Inkster had seen enough. He strode out to the mound and without hesitation asked for the ball from Ramos. He signaled for the lefty Tiernan O’Macken. DH Ettienne LaFitte swung over the top of a first pitch slider from O’Macken to go down 0-1 in the count. O’Macken doubled up on the slider and he put it in the dirt 59 feet away. The ball skipped away from Rodriguez and Nichols raced home for the go ahead run. Inkster could be heard in the dugout cursing before he held up four fingers again. LaFitte took first as LF Bastiao Fardos strode to the plate. Fardos fouled off the first pitch then waited on O’Macken to throw something he wanted to drive. O’Macken threw 4 straight balls and walked in an insurance run as Rodriguez scored.
With the game now 5-3, O’Macken struck out 1B Manuel Aguilar, Jr. and RF Mike Campbell to end the inning.
SP Alaric Wullenweber went 6 2/3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and a walk. He struck out 10 hitters on his way to evening his record at 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA.
P Jesus Gonzalez pitched 1 1/3 inning allowing just a hit and struck out 1.
RP Norm McConnell pitched the ninth and earned his third save. He walked 1, allowed a hit and struck out 1.
RF Mike Campbell hit a 3 run homer in the fourth and drew a walk in four at bats.
Hawaii wins the series opener 5-3.
Game 2- SP Jim “Bullets” Wilkinson struggled for his third straight outing and the Tropics Bullpen could not stop the Yellow Springs Offense at key moments and fell 8-6.
Wilkinson pitched 3 2/3 innings giving up 6 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 3 in 60 pitches (40 for strikes).
2B John Nichols was 1 for 3 with 2 RBI. Nichols is hitting .342 with a homer and 7 RBI.
LF Bastiao Fardos was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. Fardos is hitting .395 with 3 homers and 9 RBI.
Yellow Springs takes the game 8-6.
Game 3- 3B Gary Allen hit a two run walk off homer off the usual victim, RP Tiernan O’Macken, to send the Tropic Faithful home happy.
SP Zach Johnson was almost unhittable as he spun 7 innings of 2 hit ball. He allowed no runs, walked 1 and struck out 10 in exactly 100 pitches.
P Maxime Manceau, recently demoted to the ‘pen, pitched a clean eighth to earn his first hold of the season.
RP Norm McConnell blew the save but vultured the win pitching an inning. He allowed a solo homer and struck out 2. He is now 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA on the season.
Hawaii wins 3-1.
Game 4- DH Mark Haynes was a one man wrecking drew for the Yellow Springs Nine as he was 3 for 5 with 2 homers, 3 runs and 5 RBI to lead the Nine to a series split with Hawaii.
SP Stephen Taub labored through 2 2/3 innings allowing 6 runs (5 earned on 5 hits and a walk. He fell to 1-1 with a 4.41 ERA.
1B Miguel Aguilar was 2 for 4 for the Tropics and also homered twice, scoring 2 runs and driving in 3.
Yellow Springs wins big 10-5.
Hawaii begins a nine game road trip with a two games series in Nashville at Les Paul Field.
Game 1- The Tropic Offense is off to a slow start early in the season as they could only muster a single run. The pitching staff is contributing but need some help soon.
LF Bastiao Fardos was 2 for 4 with a run and a SB.
SP Jesus Gonzalez takes the spot of Maxime Manceau in the rotation and doesn’t disappoint. Gonzalez threw 7 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. He struck out 10 in 103 pitches (71 strikes).
He falls to 0-1 and a 1.42 ERA.
Nashville wins 3-1.
Game 2- 3B Gary Allen smacks his 5th homer of the young season and SP Alaric Wullenweber went 7 1/3 innings and picked up his second win of the season.
Wullenweber allowed 1 run on 4 hits and gave up a walk to go with 6 strikeouts.
Allen was 1 for 3 with a homer and a walk.
Ettienne LaFitte was 1 for 4 with 2 RBI.
Norm McConnell earned his fourth save of the season walking just 1 in the ninth.
Hawaii wins 4-1 and split the series with Nashville.
