Pilot baseball goes 2-2 against the Hawaii Rainbows after a tsunami scare evacuated their hotel
(Photo Illustration by Rosemary Peters)
By Bruce Garlinghouse, Staff Writer -- garlingh13@up.edu
When senior Matt Mardesich's class was asked who had the most exciting spring break story, his hand quickly shot up.
"I survived a tsunami," Mardesich said.
While the baseball team was in Hawaii facing the University of Hawaii in a four-game series, a 9.0 earthquake hit the coast of Japan, sending Pacific coastlines into a panic.
After news of the quake reached Hawaii, state officials forced residents on the coast to head to higher ground. The Pilots were staying in a hotel on Waikiki Beach. They left the hotel after being there for only hours and headed to sophomore J.R. Bunda's house, located further inland.
The Pilots found out about the quake after their first game, a 5-1 win as sophomore right-handed pitcher (RHP) Chris Johnson allowed only two hits in seven innings.
"We started hearing about the earthquake from the parents after the game but didn't realize how serious it was until we got back to the hotel," Johnson said. "Then we started hearing police sirens and were soon told we had to leave the hotel and head to higher ground."
Many of the players had to sleep in a nearby church and and had to improvise their sleeping arrangements.
"I used pew cushions as a bed, an old couch cushion as a pillow and a cushion as a blanket," sophomore Jeff Melby said. "Needless to say, I didn't get a very good night sleep."
While no physical damage came of the warnings, Johnson, who started in the Pilots first game, said the evacuation took a toll on the team.
"No one got a good night sleep, and it was hard to focus with all the distractions," Johnson said.
The effects were apparent early in the Pilots' second meeting with Hawaii. The Pilots didn't recover after giving up four runs in the first, despite holding the Runnin' Rainbows scoreless in the last seven innings.
The team was able to return to their hotel before the third game of the series, and the good night's sleep proved to be a much needed one.
The Pilots trailed 5-1 going into the seventh inning, but scored nine runs in the last three innings to grab their second win of the series, beating the Rainbows, 10-7.
"It was really nice when things calmed down and we realized there was no real danger. For a minute we were all a little worried, and the whole thing was a big distraction," Johnson said.
Aside from baseball, Melby added it was nice to be able to enjoy the Hawaiian paradise.
"We always get excited about the Hawaii trip. I mean, its spring break and it's Hawaii. So it was relieving that we were still able to enjoy all the things Hawaii has to offer," Melby said.
The Pilots finished the series 2-2 after losing the final game on a Hawaii walk-off homerun in the 10th inning.
The team then returned to the mainland to face Air Force in another four game series.
The Pilots lost all four games.
Portland's home game against Concordia was postponed due to rain and is being rescheduled.
The Pilots were scheduled to face Seattle University in a two- game series on Friday and Saturday, but due to a weather forecast that calls for rain, the Pilots will begin the series today at Joe Etzel Field.
They will still play on Friday.
(Photo Courtesy Jeff Melby)
