Rice completes sweep

Hawaii will leave Les Murakami Stadium still searching for its first win.

John Simms and Blake Fox combined on a seven-hit shutout as the 13th-ranked Rice Owls completed a four-game sweep of the Rainbows with a 5-0 victory Monday night in front of a crowd of 1,157.

Hawaii finished 0-8 on its season-opening homestand, matching the longest losing streak under coach Mike Trapasso.

UH lost its final eight games in 2002.

"It’s obvious to me that I have to do a better job of getting these kids ready to go because what we’ve seen is not good enough," Trapasso said. "We’re playing good enough to be in every game against the good teams, but can’t get over the hump and that’s on me and I’ll gladly take the blame for these first two series."

Hawaii lost by more than four runs for the first time all season. It had lost each of its previous four games before Monday by two runs.

The Rainbows face a quick turnaround, leaving Wednesday for Las Vegas to begin play in the UNLV Rebel Classic on Thursday.

The timing couldn’t be better for Hawaii, which finished 2-for-37 with runners in scoring position against the Owls (6-2).

"Sometimes it is good to get away and have the guys together in the hotel," senior captain Pi‘ikea Kitamura said. "But the focus is the same — we have to go out there and play a competitive nine (innings)."

UH started seven lefties against Simms, who notched his third win of the season in as many outings.

After getting the victory in Friday’s 17-inning game, Simms allowed five hits and no walks with three strikeouts in six innings Monday.

In 161⁄3 scoreless innings this year, Simms has allowed eight hits total.

"This weekend we were just anemic offensively; there’s no other term I can come with," Trapasso said. "I didn’t feel that way (after Oregon), but we weren’t even in the conversation offensively this series."

Freshman Quintin Torres-Costa became the first starting pitcher to also hit for the Rainbows in the Trapasso era as UH played without a designated hitter.

Batting in the nine hole, Torres-Costa had Hawaii’s first hit off of Simms with a single in the third under the glove of Christian Stringer at second.

In the fifth, Simms hit Torres-Costa with a pitch to load the bases with two outs for Stephen Ventimilia, who grounded out to second for the third time in a row.

Ventimilia started at second for the first time since the season opener against Oregon.

Torres-Costa took the loss, allowing three runs in 62⁄3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.

"I was throwing strikes and trying to let the defense work," said Torres-Costa, who threw 67 of his 103 pitches for strikes.

Rice designated hitter Michael Aquino finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a rare two-run homer to left in the eighth off reliever Jon Flinn.

The Owls improved to 36-10 all-time against UH, sweeping their first series in Hawaii since they were a member of the Western Athletic Conference in 2005.

The Rainbows open the tournament in Las Vegas on Thursday at 2 p.m. Hawaii time against Loyola Marymount.

Outfielder Zac Fujimoto, a 2008 Maryknoll alumnus, is hitting .200 (3-for-15) with a triple and two RBIs for the Lions (3-4), who lost two of three to No. 6 Oregon over the weekend.