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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 7:05 p.m., Thursday, February 28, 2008

UH baseball team tops Northern Illinois, 7-3, in Classic

Advertiser Staff

Jeff Van Doornum and Vinnie Catricala combined to drive in five runs to lead Hawai'i over Northern Illinois, 7-3, today in the Coca-Cola Classic in Surprise, Ariz.

Van Doornum drove in three runs, two from a booming home run to center, and Catricala drove in two, one on a triple.

Matt Daly (2-0) allowed three runs on six hits and six walks with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings for the Rainbows (5-3).

Jayson Kramer pitched the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and a walk with one strikeout for his second save.

Matt Jernstad (0-1) gave up four runs, seven hits and five walks with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings for the Huskies (0-2), who went 16 innings earlier in the day in a 9-6 loss to Portland.

The Rainbows, designated the home team, scored in the first. Jon Hee was hit by a Jernstad pitch and one out later, took second on a single to left by Brandon Haislet. Catricala walked to load the bases to set up Van Doornum's sacrifice fly to right to give UH a 1-0 lead.

Hawai'i added a run in the third. Hee led off with a single to center and Sean Montplaisir walked. Both advanced on Haislet's sacrifice and Hee scored on Catricala's single to right to make it 2-0.

The Rainbows scored twice in the sixth in chasing Jernstad. Catricala led off with a single to left and took third on Van Doornum's double to right. Kevin Macdonald walked to load the bases, but Landon Hernandez struck out. Matt Roquemore's sacrifice fly to center scored Catricala. Nate Young walked to load the bases to set up Hee's walk to force home a run to make it 4-0. That ended Jernstad's night for left-hander Tom Zelasko, who retired Montplaisir on a grounder to short to end the inning.

The Huskies cut their deficit in the seventh. With one out, Joe Buonavolanto and Pat Minogue hit back-to-back singles. Both advanced on a wild pitch before Bobby Stevens fouled out to second. But Jeff Thomas' two-run single pulled NIU to 4-2. Jordin Hood's triple to center made it 4-3. Daly was pulled for Jayson Kramer, who walked Danny Reed to put runners at the corners before getting Justin Behm on a grounder to third to preserve UH's one-run lead.

Hawai'i wasted little time getting back the runs in the bottom of the seventh against Zelasko. Haislet reached on a bunt single to first and scored on Catricala's triple to right-center to chase Zelasko. But Van Doornum greeted the new pitcher with a two-run home run to center to make it 7-3.