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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 1:56 p.m., Thursday, April 5, 2007

Rainbows blow by Sacramento State in baseball, 9-6

Advertiser Staff

Kris Sanchez, Vinnie Catricala and Eli Christensen each drove in two runs to lead Hawai'i over Sacramento State, 9-6, today in the Western Athletic Conference series opener at Hornet Field in Sacramento, Calif.

Ian Harrington (5-5) went 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits with four strikeouts for the Rainbows (23-11 overall, 4-3 WAC). Matt Daly added 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowing two runs and Jayson Kramer tagged on 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his second save.

Thomas Gonzales (0-1) was chased after 1 1/3 innings, giving up five runs (three earned), two hits, three walks and two hit batsmen for the Hornets (9-21, 4-6). He was an last-minute replacement for scheduled starter Alvaro Orozco.

The Rainbows sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run second inning that was aided by two errors that accounted for three unearned runs. Two walks, a hit batsman and four hits, including an RBI double by Catricala off Gonzales, and two-run single by Sanchez off reliever John Schlager, highlighted the inning.

The Hornets scored in the bottom of the third. David Flores led off with a single, stole second, and after Travis Kirkman flied out to center, scored on Tim Wheeler's double to left to make it 6-1.

Flores led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run to pull the Hornets to 6-2, but Harrington retired the next three batters in order.

The Hornets chased Harrington in the sixth. With one out, Montana Dye doubled and went to third on Gabe Jacobo's single to left. Blake Croby's sacrifice fly to left scored Montana to make it 6-3. Jacobo stole second and scored on pinch hitter Jeff Hannah's single to left to pull the Hornets to 6-4. Harrington was pulled for Matt Daly, who struck out Flores.

Hawai'i added three in the seventh against Schlager. Brandon Haislet led off with a double, took second on Sanchez's single to right; Sanchez took second on the throw back to the infield. Kevin Macdonald walked to load the bases. Schlager was pulled for Tyler Alexrod. Catricala grounded out to third to advance the runners to increase UH's lead to 7-4. With the infield in, Landon Hernandez grounded out to short, as the runners held. Christensen followed with a two-run single to make it 9-4, but was out trying for second to end the inning.

Sacramento State scored twice in the eighth against Daly. With one out, Jacobo and Crosby singled to put runners and first and second. Hannah's single to right scored Jacobo and sent Crosby to third. Daly was replaced by Jayson Kramer, who got Flores on a fly to center. But Kirkman followed with an RBI single to pull the Hornets to 9-6 before Wheeler grounded to short for a force at second to end the inning.