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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 2:07 p.m., Sunday, March 30, 2008

Sacramento State completes series sweep of Rainbows, 10-6

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i saw five walks cashed in for runs in a 10-6 loss to Sacramento State today at Hornet Field in Sacramento, Calif.

A three-run double by David Flores and a two-run home run by Tim Wheeler highlighted a seven-run fourth when the Hornets (10-14 overall, 5-3 WAC) sent 11 batters to the plate to complete a four-game Western Athletic Conference series sweep.

Trevor Paine (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning of relief for Sacramento State.

Josh Schneider (2-2) allowed three runs, three hits and three walks with one strikeout in 3 1/3 innings for UH (9-19 overall, 2-6 WAC).

Hawai'i started the game by sending eight batters to the plate in the first to take a 2-0 lead. It started with four consecutive singles by Jon Hee, Derek DuPree, Brandon Haislet and Kevin Macdonald, the last two each driving in a run. But Macdonald got picked off first before Jeff Van Doornum walked and Alex Myers got hit by a pitch to reload the bases. Weglin then struck out Vinnie Catricala and got Landon Hernandez to fly out to center to leave the bases full.

Sacramento State exploded for seven runs in the fourth when 11 batters went to the plate. David Flores led off with a double off Schneider and took third on Gabe Jacobo's deep fly out to center. Tim Wheeler then homered to right to tie the game at 2. When Jeff Hannah walked, Schneider was lifted for Matt Daly. After Hannah took second on a wild pitch, Blake Crosby walked. Hunter Martinez's RBI single gave the Hornets a 3-2 lead and sent Crosby to second. Daly walked Travis Kirkman to load the bases. Taylor Watanabe popped out to short, but Daly walked Ryan Blair to force across a run to make it 4-2. Daly was pulled for Harrison Kuroda, who gave up a three-run double to Flores to make it 7-2 before Jacobo flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rainbows responded with two runs in the fifth to pull to 7-4. Haislet led off with a double and scored on Macdonald's single. Van Doornum was hit by a pitch and ended Casey Weglin's day for Trevor Paine. Alex Myers flare single to center loaded the bases. Macdonald then scored on Catricala's sacrifice fly, but Van Doornum was thrown out trying for third on the play.

Hernandez's single to left sent Myers to second, but Ryan Morford flied out to right to end the inning.

But the Hornets came back in the bottom of the fifth. Kuroda walked Wheeler and Hannah with both advancing on Blake Crosby's sacrifice. Kuroda then hit Martinez to load the bases, setting up Kirkman's RBI single to make it 8-4 and reload the bases.

Kuroda was pulled for Cameron Wheeler, who gave up an RBI single to Watanabe to reload the bases. Blair popped out to second and Flores fouled out to first to end the inning with the Hornets ahead, 9-4.

Hawai'i got a run in the sixth off Nick Buchta. With two outs, Haislet walked and Macdonald was hit by a pitch. Van Doornum's RBI single moved Macdonald to second and pulled UH to 9-5. But Myers struck out to end the inning.

The Hornets added a run in the eighth on an RBI single by Wheeler to make it 10-5.

Hawai'i pulled to 10-6 in the ninth on an RBI double by Hernandez.