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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, February 23, 2008

Rainbows break out the bats to beat Dons

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertise Staff Writer

Hawai'i scored in all but one inning in pounding out 17 hits to roll over San Francisco, 10-4, last night in the opener of the nonconference baseball series.

The Rainbows (3-1) overcame a 3-2 deficit after the top of the second inning to spoil the season opener for the Dons (0-1) before 1,323 at Les Murakami Stadium.

"After last weekend, we really needed to come out and get off on the right foot," said senior left fielder Derek DuPree, who was 2 for 4.

Although the Rainbows took 2 of 3 from UH-Hilo last weekend, they struggled offensively. Last night, they hit early and often.

Evan Zimny led the 17-hit barrage by batting 4 for 4 with a double and two RBI. Brandon Haislet was 3 for 4 with two doubles, and Landon Hernandez hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot over the second fence in the eighth inning. Every UH starter had a hit except for Greg Garcia, still looking for his first hit of the season.

"That's the way you're supposed to play the game," UH coach Mike Trapasso said of the offensive output. "We had the intensity and a more aggressive approach."

Hawai'i starter Matt Daly (1-0) had only one bad inning, when he gave up three in the second. He allowed four runs, two hits and four walks with eight strikeouts in six innings. The Dons cashed in three of those walks for runs. Josh Slaats labored a bit in three scoreless innings, walking three and allowing two hits in notching the save.

"I'd say from Daly's standpoint, he battled," Trapasso said. "Three of the four (scored) by walks, so you've just gotta stop that because that game was a dogfight for most of the night."

The Rainbows took a 2-0 lead off USF starter Mitchell Bialosky in the first on DuPree's RBI single after Jon Hee led off the inning with a double, and on an RBI ground out by Jeffrey Van Doornum.

Daly, who retired the Dons in order on nine pitches in the first, labored in the top of the second, issuing three walks. Two walks sandwiched a single to load the bases to set up Bobby Ethel's bases-clearing triple to right.

"I was probably nibbling a little too much, wasn't getting the pitches," Daly said. "But I definitely bounced back."

The Rainbows tied it in the second on DuPree's sacrifice fly to left, and regained the lead in the third on Zimny's RBI single.

Daly retired eight batters in a row before allowing his fourth walk in the fifth. An error and the first of two wild pitches in the inning led to the Dons' fourth run that tied the game at 4.

In the bottom of the fifth, Van Doornum led off the inning with a double and scored on a ground out to first by Greg Garcia, putting UH ahead 5-4. The Rainbows blew it open with a three-run sixth, highlighted with a two-run triple by Kevin Macdonald and another RBI single by Zimny.

The series continues at 1:05 p.m. today with a doubleheader. The Rainbows are scheduled to send Jared Alexander and Sam Spangler, while the Dons' probables are Evan Frederickson and Matt Baugh.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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