With the playoffs on the line, the Tropics play a critical four game series against the Vancouver Mounties at the Northwoods Outpost.
Game 1- Hawaii scores three in the top of the seventh to take a 6-1 advantage over the Mounties. Vancouver then came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth but come up short in the series opener.
Alaric Wullenweber worked hard for 7 1/3 innings giving up 4 runs on 9 hits. He struck out 8 batters in earning his 14th win of the season.
RP Norm McConnell pitched a clean ninth for his 28th save.
LF Bastiao Fardos was 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI.
2B Jack “Junkyard” Nichols was 2 for 3 with a triple, two runs, an RBI, a walk and a SB.
Hawaii wins 6-4.
Game 2- The Tropics tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh but the Mounties score an unearned run off of a Nichols error in the bottom of the inning to even the series at 1 apiece.
SP Stephen Taub struggled through 4 innings allowing 5 runs on 9 hits while striking to 2.
DH Ettienne LaFitte (2 for 5) hit is 19th homer of the season and stole his 25th base.
1B Ernest McBride (2 for 4) hit his 41st homer of the season, scored 2 runs and drove in 2 runs. He is hitting .304 with the 41 bombs and 106 RBI.
Vancouver wins 6-5.
Game 3- The Tropics strength has become a major weakness as SP Zak Johnson pitches just 1/3 of an inning and was beaten into submission by the Mounties Offense. He allowed 6 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits. He threw just 27 pitches in losing his 12th game of the season. He watched his defense kick the ball around to add to his frustrations. SS Leonard Jones booted a ball in the first to allow 2 runs to score.
The offense made a nice effort to try to comeback from the hole that had been dug for them but this game was a microcosm of what has happened this season. RF Mike Campbell (3 for 5) singled, doubled and homered. He scored 2 runs and drove in 3 runs but also had an error.
Vancouver wins 12-8.
Game 4- The Mounties score 4 runs in the seventh and 1 in the eighth to beat back the Tropics and take the series 3-1.
SP Niccolo “Notorious” Destefani was left out a bit too long by Tropics Manager Kelly Finley. Destefani allowed just a run through 6 innings of work. GM Jim Walker said, “I was ready for Kelly to pull him and go to the pen. Kelly had done that in previous starts but he didn’t even have anyone up after the sixth. This is gonna cost us.”
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Bastiao Fardos was 1 for 3 hitting a solo homer.
Ernest McBride was 2 for 4 with his 42nd homer. He scored 2 runs and drove in 2.
Vancouver wins 6-4.
The Tropics arrive in Valencia reeling from a series loss to Vancouver. Except for Wullenweber, the staff is struggling. Hawaii will try to right the ship with some good results in a three game series versus the Stars at Honigsfeld Field.
Game 1- The Tropics were shut down by Valencia Starter Niall Hanlon and company to drop their fourth straight game. Hanlon gave up just 1 run on 6 hits and a walk. He struck out 8 batters in 7 innings of work.
SS Leonard Jones was 2 for 3 and drove in the lone Tropics run.
The Stars lineup were patient at the plate against Tropics SP Jesus Gonzalez. He threw 91 pitches in 4 1/3 innings of work. He surrendered 2 runs, 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 batters.
Valencia wins 3-1.
Game 2- Hawaii Tropic Ace Alaric Wullenweber was the losing streak stopper pitching 8 strong innings. He gave up 2 runs on 7 hits, walk none and struck out 9 batters. He improves to 15-9 with a 4.23 ERA.
Reliever Norm McConnell allowed a hit and struck out 1 in the ninth and earned his 29th save of the season.
DH Ernest McBride was 1 for 4 hitting his 43rd homer of the season, a 2 run homer in the fourth inning.
Hawaii wins 3-2.
Game 3- The Tropics jump out to another early lead but let another game slip away at the end. Errors and poor pitching has taken a toll on this team the last week. Stephen Taub ran out of gas early in the game and was gone after the fourth. Taub allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits, 3 walks and had just 1 K.
1B Manuel Aguilar, Jr. was 2 for 3 with a run scoring double and score a run himself.
Valencia wins 6-4 and wins the series 2-1.
