Tribune-Herald
Tribune-Herald
According to his pitching stat line, Onan Masaoka turned in his second-best outing of the season. Backed by a lineup that took the day off and an inconsistent defense, it wasn’t good enough.
One more effort like that in Northern California, and the Hawaii Stars will five themselves in last place.
Erik Gonsalves pitched a six-hitter as Vallejo beat the Stars 4-1 to creep up right behind them at the bottom of the Pacific Association baseball standings.
Gonsalves (3-2) retired 12 straight batters after Anthony Williams hit an RBI double in the fifth inning, and for the second straight day an Admirals pitcher with an ERA above 5.00 went the distance in holding the Stars to a single run.
Batting leadoff, Willams finished 2 for 4, but the Nos. 2-4 hitters in the order combined to go 0-12.
The Stars (13-20) committed four errors and lost for the eighth time in nine games. Katsuaki Furuki, who struck out three times, is 5 for 32 over that stretch and his average has dropped more than 75 points to .327.
Masaoka (2-4) pitched six innings for the fourth straight start, allowing seven hits, three runs (two earned) and three walks with five strikeouts. His strikeouts matched a season high and he lowered his ERA to 5.11.
Justin James produced a one-out single in the fourth and scored on Nathan Tomaszewski’s hit to give the Admirals (10-18) a 1-0 lead. Vallejo would eventually load the bases, setting up Scott Underwood’s sacrifice fly.
Vallejo took advantage of errors to add runs in the firth and seventh. Shortstop Felix Brown, who scored a run, and second baseman Dustin Smith each were responsible for two errors.
Gonsalves pitched his second straight complete game in his best start of the season. In a 117-pitch effort, he struck out five and scattered six hits and a walk.
Tomaszewski was 2 for 4.
Hawaii reliever Michael Jackson struck out four over two hitless innings, yielding a walk and an unearned run.
The fourth contest of the six-game series is scheduled for 4 p.m. HST Friday.