[luckymann]

Erik Edwards gives us the perfect start with 8+ shutout innings in a 2-0 Opening Day win over Hilo. That sets the tone as we get off to an absolute flyer with a string of 11 wins before dropping a game to Lanai.

All the big names have hit the ground running. Erik Edwards is 3-0 with an 0.34 ERA and of our rotation only Rob Moore is struggling. Strickland and Hackett are both hitting .400+ and Moulton (6), Malone (5) and Strickland (4) are giving us plenty of power. Ethan Williams and Roland Taylor have had slow starts and our pen is still a bit too generous with runs for my tastes, so there are aspects of our game not 100% satisfactory. That said, we couldn’t in our wildest dreams have expected starting the season in such a way.

We drop two straight to the Juice as reality reasserts its sway, but then Erik Edwards steadies the ship with another shutout win to make him 4-0 with an ERA of 0.27. The next night we lose a wild one to Hilo, giving up 9 runs over the last 3 innings to blow a big lead. The bullpen is obviously our weak point, as its 5.08 ERA shows. I’ll let it go for a bit but will need to act should that persist. That starts a run of outs for us, including a 10-inning 1-0 loss in which we get just 3 hits. Malone is having a bit of a sophomore slump, batting just .221 and really curbing our ability to score runs. Another one to watch, not that I’d ever trade him but perhaps some lineup adjustments might be needed if he doesn’t turn it around.

We lose Rob Moore for a week with a back strain and call up JD Bell. Word comes through from the CAL that Josh Alfonso, whom you’ll remember we were in talks with over the offseason, has no-hit Riverside. C’est la guerre. Erik Edwards proves he’s only human as he posts his first poor start and cops his first loss for us. We have lost 8 of our last 10 and now sit at 13-8. Hilo has overtaken us and now lead by a game.

It’s anything but panic stations, but it goes without saying I much preferred it when we were 11-0.

We lose two 10-inning heartbreakers in a row, the second despite Jonno Moulton going deep twice to take his total for the season to 11, equal second in the HAL. No wonder he comes a-knockin’ and wants to talk large domestic fowl about his contract. He wants a slight raise to $40k but I pitch $35k, the same as he’s on this year. I think he’ll bite but he doesn’t immediately. That’s OK, I’ve got nothin’ but time. In the end, he doesn’t keep me waiting long, signing, sealing and delivering his contract just before month’s end.

The group gets a huge lift when Erik Edwards hurls a no-no against Lanai City, the first recorded in the league. Malone and Moulton (with the bags full) both go yard and Taylor goes 4-5 in an 8-0 win. Let’s hope Brian can get hot, as his BA has dropped to an alarming .220. We pinch one the next day as we score 3 in the top 9th to win it 6-5, again at Lanai City.

Moore’s return is delayed indefinitely, so we’ll have to make do with Bell for the foreseeable future.

We finish the month off in fine style with a 7-6 comeback win at Kaunakakai. Moulton again stars with HR #13 and 3 ribbies. That might have been an astute investment we just made. That means we’ve split our last 10 and with a 17-11 record still trail the Volcanoes by a game.

HAL Batter of the Month: Chris North (Kahului) .247 / 12 HR / 25 RBI / 33 R

HAL Pitcher of the Month: Erik Edwards (Honolulu) 5-1 / 1.10 / 35 K / 49 IP / OBA .108