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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 2:36 p.m., Saturday, May 5, 2007

UH-Manoa tops UH-Hilo in baseball, 7-2

Advertiser Staff

Mark Rodrigues pitched seven strong innings to help Hawai'i-Manoa beat UH-Hilo, 7-2, today to complete the non-conference college baseball three-game series sweep at Wong Stadium in Hilo.

Rodrigues (8-2) allowed two runs and six hits while striking out three for the Rainbows (31-19). Tyler Davis pitched the final two innings for his fourth save.

Lars Knepper (3-8) gave up five runs (four earned), eight hits and a walks with eight strikeouts in six innings for the Vulcans (12-35-1), who ended their season having lost eight in a row.

The Rainbows jumped on Knepper in the first inning. Derek DuPree walked with one out, took second on Justin Frash's single, stole third and then both scored on Kris Sanchez's triple to right to give UH a 2-0 lead.

But the Vulcans got one back in the second. Jon Vitale doubled with two outs and scored on Ronel Trias's single to center to pull UHH to 2-1.

They tied it in the third when David Chu led off with a single, took second on Michael Higa's sacrifice and after A.J. Satele struck out, scored on Robby Mowers' single to left to make it 2-2.

The Rainbows regained a 3-2 lead in the fifth. With one out, Jon Hee reached on shortstop Shane Kessel's fielding error and scored on DuPree's double to left-center. After Frash flied out to left, DuPree took third on a passed ball, but was left thee when Brandon Haislet struck out.

Manoa added two in the sixth. Sanchez and Vinnie Catricala singled to put runners at first and second before Evan Zimny struck out. Landon Hernandez singled to load the bases before Eli Christensen fouled out to the catcher. But Hee's single to center scored two to increase UH's lead to 5-2.

The Rainbows made it 7-2 in the ninth on a two-run home run by Frash off Tyler Safford.