The Hawaii Tropics host the Valencia Stars in a three game series at Diamond Head.
Game 1- The Stars Jose “The Mayor” Martinez dominated the Tropics lineup as Valencia takes the series opener. Martinez pitched 6 1/3 innings and surrendered just 3 hits and 2 walks on his way to his 2nd win of the season.
Tropics Starter Stephen Taub wasn’t too shabby either going 5 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2 batters. RP Felipe Lopez continues his recent woes going 2/3 of an inning allowing 3 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks. He managed to strike out 1 batter.
1B Manuel Aguilar, Jr. hit a ninth inning homer to allow the Tropics to avoid being shutout.
Valencia wins 4-1.
Game 2- DH Ernest McBride blasts 2 homers and the Tropics blitz the Stars with 7 runs in the first three innings to cruise to a win. McBride was 2 for 5 with 2 runs and 3 RBI.
LF Bastiao Fardos continues his string of great play going 2 for 4 with a homer, 2 runs and 2 RBI.
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3B Gary Allen was 2 for 3 with a double, a walk, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base.
Manny Aguilar hit a homer in consecutive games. He was 2 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI.
SP Jesus Gonzalez was the beneficiary of all that offense going 5 2/3 innings allowing 4 runs, on 8 hits, a couple of walks and 6 Ks. He improves to 5-3 with a 5.18 ERA.
Hawaii wins 11-5.
Game 3- Hawaii Tropics Ace Alaric Wullenweber pitched a gem against the Stars. He went the distance giving up just 2 hits and struck out 9 batters. He improves to 6-7 with a 3.80 ERA. At the postgame news conference Wullenweber said, “I had feel of all my pitches. I just trusted in what “Ship” was calling and just threw.”
“Ship” is the nickname the team has for C Ron Shiplack.
Gary Allen was 1 for 3 with a solo homer.
CF Ronnie Hubbard was 2 for 3 with a run, an RBI and was caught stealing.
Hawaii wins 3-0 and wins the series 2-1.
The Tropics take off to the Great White North for a three game series against the Vancouver Mounties at Northwoods Outpost.
Game 1- The Tropics and Mounties played to a 2-2 stalemate through nine innings. The Tropics took a 3-2 lead in the top of the tenth with a Mike Campbell solo homer. Then, in the bottom of the tenth, reliever Felipe Lopez two singles and a walk to load the bases. Tropics Manager Ricardo Morales had seen enough. He replaced Lopez with Stephen Taub. With 1 out, Taub gave up a sac fly to tie the game then gave up a single that plated the winning run.
Campbell was 2 for 5 with a double to go with his solo homer. He drove in 2 and scored 1.
SP Niccolo “Notorious” Destefani pitched well going 6 innings, surrendering just a run, on 4 hits, a walk and struck out 4.
Vancouver wins 4-3.
Game 2- Ronnie Hubbard goes 4 for 5 and the Tropics comeback from down 4-3 to take the second game.
Hubbard scored 2 runs and stole a base.
Ernest McBride was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 RBI.
SP Zak Johnson pitched 7 innings allowing 4 runs on 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5.
Felipe Lopez overcame his tough streak. He pitched a clean ninth for his 3rd save of the season.
Hawaii wins 5-4.
Game 3- The Tropics pound out 14 hits and score 10 runs and relied on a bullpen day to get the job done on the mound to take the series.
Manager Ricardo Morales said, “We decided to give the starters a break and maybe re-set this thing going forward.”
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RP Douglas Wils got the start and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits over 2 innings.
RP Luis Torres came on in relief and got the win. He pitched 3 innings just giving up a walk and struck out 1.
RP Maxime Manceau pitched the next 2 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1.
Stephen Taub finished up the final 2 innings allowing just a hit while striking out a batter.
The Tropics had homers from 2B Jack “Junkyard” Nichols (1 for 3, Grand Slam), Gary Allen (3 for 4, solo shot) and Ronnie Hubbard (2 for 5, solo shot).
Hawaii wins 10-3 and wins the series 2-1.
