By KEVIN JAKAHI By KEVIN JAKAHI ADVERTISING Tribune-Herald sports writer Nothing unlucky happened to the Hawaii Stars on Friday the 13th, quite the opposite, especially for left-hander Bryan Herrera, who survived a shaky first inning, and received a healthy dose
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
Nothing unlucky happened to the Hawaii Stars on Friday the 13th, quite the opposite, especially for left-hander Bryan Herrera, who survived a shaky first inning, and received a healthy dose of run support.
The Stars exploded for five runs in the seventh inning to power past the Sonoma County Grapes 7-4 in a North American Baseball League game at Wong Stadium, handing a victory to a starting pitcher for the first time in the series.
The Stars (15-13) and Grapes (10-18) play the fifth game of a six-game set at 5:35 p.m. today at Wong. John Holley (0-1, 4.86 ERA) is scheduled to start for Hawaii.
Luck has been with the Stars, at least good luck as it pertains to the weather. Tropical Storm Daniel made like a slider and took a sharp turn away from the Big Island, opening up the night to clear skies.
Continuing on the theme of luck, Herrera walked himself into trouble in the first inning, issuing three free passes, and somehow surrendered only one run, on Michael Johnson’s RBI double.
He finished with one other walk and fine numbers. In seven innings, Herrera, 29, allowed two runs (one unearned) on three hits and four walks, and struck out one.
The former University of Texas Longhorn, who won a national championship in 2005, improved his record to 2-1, and dropped his ERA to 3.45, earning his first victory since June 13 against the Grapes at home.
Hawaii leadoff hitter and right fielder Steve Tedesco has apparently stuck his bat in a lava field because it’s been red-hot. He’s currently riding a six-game hitting streak, batting .538 (14 for 26) during that stretch, and pushing his average from .164 a few weeks ago to .276.
Tedesco, 24, is from sunny Mission Viejo, Calif., but went to college on scholarship in the cold of Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, where he played football as a wideout and baseball.
“If you compare my football and baseball careers, I had a much better football career,” he said. “But I’ve always wanted to play baseball. After college, I wanted to pursue my dream.
“Baseball is a funny game. It’s a game of failure. You can’t ever get down or doubt yourself if balls are not falling. The season is only a couple months, but it’s a grind. We’re with each other seven hours a day and form tight relationships and pull for each other. We play for the love of the game, and we play for each other as well.”
With the due diligence of Tedesco, the Stars added a pair of runs in the first and second off Sonoma County starter Dan March, a former Hawaii Pacific pitcher. He gave up five runs (one unearned) in six innings for the loss.
In the first inning, Tedesco reached on a two-base error, and scored on Brenden Davis’ RBI single. An inning later, Dion Pouncil walked and raced home on Tedesco’s single.
Tedesco batted 2 for 3, Pouncil 3 for 3, Arnoldo Ponce 2 for 5 with two RBIs, and Matt Hibbert and Jason Thomas added two hits each for the Stars.
In the seventh against Grapes reliever Jeff Lyons, Ponce clocked a two-run double, and Davis, who was on first base, scored on a throwing error, the second miscue of the inning. The first run also scored on a throwing error. Ponce later scored on a wild pitch.
Hawaii closer Roman Martinez, who last pitched June 29 against Maui, gave up two runs on six hits and one walk, and struck out two.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander made the distance of 60 feet and 6 inches between the mound and home plate seem too short, at least for the first two hitters, both punchouts.
But the Grapes get paid to swing the bats, too, and scratched him for runs. Each hit came when Martinez was ahead in the count, showing his rust.
In the ninth, with a touch of drama in the air, with two on and two out, Martinez got cleanup hitter Fred Atkins — the tying run — on a popup to end the game.
That hand-delivered the win to Herrera, who was the backup to Drew Stubbs, now a center fielder with the Cincinnati Reds, at Texas for his two seasons.
Herrera only started to pitch seriously after he graduated with his kinesiology degree in 2006 from Texas. He always had a strong throwing arm from the outfield, so he figured he’d try pitching.
“I’ve been on six independent teams and tried to make it as a two-way player, but only became a full-time pitcher in 2009,” he said. “It’s a learning process. I’m a little older, but I feel I’m young as a pitcher. Lefty pitchers who can get left-handed batters out in the big leagues last forever. I made the switch to keep my dream alive.”
After their second straight win, the Stars’ clubhouse was jumping with joy. The radio was booming. Smiles were everywhere.
Like Tedesco, Herrera connected winning, chemistry and camaraderie to the team’s good vibe on Friday the 13th.
“Winning that national championship in 2005 was awesome,” Herrera said. “I’m the ultimate competitor and it was hard sitting on the bench, and not getting as much playing time as I thought I would.
“But it makes it easier when you go 54-2. I tell the guys now when you get closer to the end, you’re fighting for everything and you miss that camaraderie in the clubhouse. That’s what it’s all about.”
Grapes 100 100 011 — 4 9 4
Stars 110 000 50x — 7 13 1
Stars watch
Friday
Hawaii 7, Sonoma 4
Today: Sonoma at Hawaii, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Wong Stadium
Radio: 670 AM
