Fresno State roughs up Rainbows, 13-3

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Josh Labandeira and Brandon Gemoll combined for seven RBIs to lead Fresno State over University of Hawai'i, 13-3, last night in Western Athletic Conference baseball.

A Rainbow Stadium crowd of 663 watched the Bulldogs (25-16, 9-9 WAC) take the rubber game of the three-game series against the Rainbows (17-20, 7-14). Fresno State won five of six against UH this season.

The Bulldogs head for Hilo for a three-game series against the Vulcans starting Thursday. The Rainbows head for Texas for a three-game series against Texas Christian and Rice.

Zach Minor (7-3) allowed six hits and five walks in a complete-game performance last night. He gave up a two-run homer to Patrick Scalabrini in the first and a sacrifice fly to Kevin Gilbride in the sixth.

Labandeira was 2-for-6 with a two-run home run off UH starter Sean Yamashita (2-5) and a two-run triple off Matt Le Ducq. Gemoll batted 3-for-6 with a double and three RBIs.

The Bulldogs chased Yamashita after two-plus innings. They batted around in the first, scoring four runs on two walks and three doubles, then added two more in the second on Labandeira's home run to left. Yamashita was replaced by Chad Giannetti after giving up a lead-off single to Ben Fritz in the third inning.

"It was one of those things," UH acting coach Carl Furutani said. "He (Yamashita) made good pitch, good pitch, then one mistake pitch."

Yamashita allowed six runs, seven hits and three walks.

"It was just a bad day," Yamashita said. "I just couldn't throw strikes . . . you have to give (Fresno State) credit. They came out swinging."

The Bulldogs sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run fifth against three pitchers. Giannetti got a force out, but gave up four hits and four runs. Le Ducq came in, recorded an out, then gave up four hits and two runs before departing. William Quaglieri got the final out of the inning, but FSU led 12-2.

After Gilbride's sacrifice fly made it 12-3 in the sixth, the Bulldogs closed the scoring with a run in the seventh. Oscar Lopez led off by getting hit by a Quaglieri pitch, then took second and third on balks. One out later, Lopez scored when Gemoll grounded out to second.

• Renaming update: The renaming of Rainbow Stadium after UH coach Les Murakami has gone beyond a resolution with the legislature. The state Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a bill to rename the stadium yesterday. But there is a provision that the UH Board of Regents has the right to disapprove the designated name. The bill will be up for vote with the full senate today.