The Hawaii Tropics return home for their final home stand of the season and play the Long Beach Surfers in a four-game series. Hawaii and Long Beach have split the ten games they have faced each other this season.
The Tropics score six runs in the home half of the 7th inning to break a 1-1 tie, but the Surfers give the Hawaii fans a scare with a five-run response in the 8th. The Trops hold on for the one-run win as Troy ‘Teddy Bear’ Reynolds shuts down Long Beach in the final 1.2 innings. He gave up just one hit as he earned his 3rd save. Bill Phillips earned the win despite giving up two runs on two hits and a couple of walks. He improves to 3-4 with a 2.34 ERA but ups his blown save tally to 2. Gerardo Rea has finished the season strong and pitched 6.1 innings allowing just a run on four hits and two walks in a no decision.
Felipe Hernandez was 1 for 4 and smacked his 21st homer of the season in the 4th inning to give Hawaii a 1-0 lead. Jake Diamond was 2 for 4 with a three-run homer (10) to cap off the six-run 7th.
Hawaii wins 7-6.
Hawaii reliever Bill Williams gives up a two-run homer to Long Beach 1B Terry Cole in extras as the Surfers win in extras. Williams falls to 4-4 with a 3.49 ERA. The homer wasted a nice start by Utbah ‘Crawdad Me’ bin Muta who threw 83 pitches in six innings allowing just a run on four hits and struck out two batters.
Diamond was 1 for 6 but drove in another run while Frank McMillan was 1 for 6 with a walk and an RBI. Mitch Wareham was 3 for 6 with a double (27), walked, scored a run and was caught stealing.
Long Beach wins 4-2.
The Long Beach Surfers ran away with this game early, took a nap in the 5th, 6th, and 7th, then woke up to pour it on again. Manny Ortiz had another ugly start pitching 3.1 innings allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out two batters as he falls to 6-9 with a 4.33 ERA.
Russ McHaney was 2 for 4 with two, two out solo homers (26). He hit the first in the 4th inning and added the other in the 8th. Carlos Sanchez hit a solo homer (17) of his own in the 9th.
Long Beach wins 10-5.
The Tropics offense overcomes any bad pitching with two homers and five doubles to score 14 runs. Felipe Hernandez led the onslaught with two homers (23). He hit a solo homer in the 1st then a two-run blast in the 3rd. He was 2 for 4 with two walks, scored three runs and drove in three to take Player of the Game honors. Russ McHaney doubled and drove in three and Katsumi Matsumoto matched that in the 3rd inning.
Elvin Hilliard was awful but not bad enough as he allowed four runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings. Chih Kuang earned the win with 1.2 scoreless innings giving up just a hit with a K. He improves to 5-3 with a 3.73 ERA.
Hawaii wins 14-4.
The Trops and Surfers split the four-game series.
