Sharks Capitalize on BeachBoy Miscues, Split Series
October 1, 2007 - Hawaii Winter Baseball 2 (HWB 2)
Honolulu Sharks News Release
The Honolulu Sharks picked up their first win of the 2007 Hawaii Winter Baseball campaign with an 8-3 victory over the Waikiki BeachBoys tonight at Waipahu's Hans L'Orange Park. After being shut out on Saturday by Waikiki, the Sharks relied on eight hits coupled with a heap of BeachBoy miscues that included three fielding errors, seven wild pitches and two passed balls.
Waikiki (1-1) wasted no time getting on the board as leadoff man Antoan Richardson and ensuing batter Hector Pellot both reached base in the home half of the opening frame. Richardson proceeded to steal third while Pellot trailed him to second, and the pair came home on a Michael Wilson sacrifice fly and double off the bat of Jeff Kindel, respectively.
But the Sharks (1-1) broke their 11-inning scoreless streak as the purple-clad Honolulu squad scored three runs in the third and another in the fourth inning-all on a collection of passed balls and wild pitches unleashed by BeachBoy pitchers. Through the first four innings alone, Waikiki battery mates combined on six wild pitches and two passed balls.
Waikiki reliever Shane Lindsay (0-1) was responsible for the first three Honolulu runs on the evening, and the Australia native got the hook from manager Donovan Mitchell after retiring just one batter and surrendering two hits and two walks.
The BeachBoys added a run in the fifth inning as Richardson singled in Sean McCraw to cut Honolulu's lead to 4-3.
But the Sharks tacked on four insurance runs in the seventh frame and the lead was not threatened for the remainder of the contest. Honolulu starter Takuya Furuya (1-0) earned the victory despite allowing the first two runs in four innings on the bump.
Fans in attendance were treated to a career milestone for Sharks designated hitter Matt Wieters. The switch-hitting catcher picked up his first career hit at the professional level after lacing a line drive up the middle off reliever Shane Lindsay in the second inning. Wieters has drawn a great deal of attention after being selected as the No. 5 overall pick by Baltimore in the 2007 amateur draft, and inking a professional contract which includes a bountiful $6 million signing bonus. On the evening, Wieters went 1-2 with two walks and two runs scored and just missed hitting his first home run on a long fly ball to the warning track just short of the 387-foot sign in right-center field.
Both teams have tomorrow off as the Sharks spend the day traveling to Maui for a three-game series with the North Shore Honu at Iron Maehara Stadium that gets underway on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
The BeachBoys will remain on Oahu to host the West Oahu CaneFires at Hans L'Orange Park in a three-game set. First pitch is also scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
HWB is an organized professional baseball league sanctioned by Major League Baseball-a rare and prestigious distinction. It provides a platform on which promising young professional ball players representing minor league organizations go up against top-notch competition to accelerate through their respective professional farm systems.
The league is composed of four, 28-player teams: the Honolulu Sharks, Waikiki BeachBoys, West Oahu CaneFires and North Shore Honu. Hans L'Orange Park in Waipahu serves as HWB's Oahu home, and the league will also hold games at Maui's Iron Maehara Stadium and the Big Island's Francis Wong Stadium this year.
Each team is scheduled to play 40 games during the season which runs from September 29 through November 19. HWB held its inaugural season in 1993 and ran every year through 1997. After an eight-year "rain delay," the league returned last year for its sixth season to the delight of local and visiting baseball fans alike.
Hawaii Winter Baseball 2 Stories from October 1, 2007
- Sharks Capitalize on BeachBoy Miscues, Split Series - Honolulu Sharks
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