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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 7:17 p.m., Thursday, April 9, 2009

2-run homer in 12th boosts Nevada to wild 14-12 win over Rainbows

Advertiser Staff

Travis Simas' two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning lifted Nevada over No. 23 Hawai'i, 14-12, in the Western Athletic Conference series opener tonight at Peccole Park in Reno, Nev.

Nick Leid singled with one out and Simas drilled an 0-2 pitch off Lenny Linsky to left field to end it.

Daniel Timlin (2-0) pitched four scoreless innings for the Wolf Pack (15-16 overall, 4-1 WAC). He allowed no runs, two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Linsky (1-1) gave up two runs in 1 2/3 innings for the Rainbows (20-11, 3-2), who drop a game behind the Wolf Pack, who moved into sole possession of first place.

The Rainbows stormed to a 3-0 lead in the second. Kolten Wong led off with a single to left, took second on Landon Hernandez's single to left and Jeffrey Van Doornum walked to load the bases. Sean Montplaisir's ground single to left scored Wong and reloaded the bases, but Matt Roquemore struck out. Greg Garcia's two-run double put runners at second and third with UH ahead, 3-0.

But Ryan Morford grounded out to the pitcher and then Montplaisir was caught off third in a rundown to end the inning.

The Wolf Pack cut their deficit to one in the third. Simas led off with a single, but was forced at second when Westley Moss reached on a grounder to short. Matt Bowman's RBI double pulled Nevada to 3-1. Bowman went to third when Kevin Rodland reached on shortstop Garcia's fielding error. Shaun Kort's RBI single moved Rodland to second. Rodland was caught stealing third and Tyson Jaquez grounded to second for a force at second to end the inning.

Nevada scored unearned runs in the fourth to take the lead. Nick Melino reached first on shortstop Garcia's fielding error, took second on Brett Hart's sacrifice and scored on Nick Leid's triple to right-center to tie the game at 3. Leid scored when Simas grounded out to third to give Nevada a 4-3 lead.

Hawai'i regained the lead with a four-run fifth. Garcia reached on a single to short. Morford was called out on strikes, but Catricala's single off second baseman Leid's glove sent Garcia to third. Kevin Macdonald's sacrifice fly to right scored Garica to tie the game at 4. Wong followed with a two-run home run to right to put UH ahead, 6-4. Hernandez flared a double to right and scored on Van Doornum's single to left. Van Doornum took second on a throwing error to home by third baseman Jaquez. Montplaisir grounded out to first to end the inning.

Nevada pulled to within one in the bottom of the fifth. Bowman led off with a homer to left to pull Nevada to 7-5. Rodland reached on a single to short and scored on Kort's double to left-center to make it 7-6. Starter Jayson Kramer was pulled for Harrison Kuroda. Jaquez lined out to left. Melino was hit by a pitch and Hart flied out to center. The runners advanced on a wild pitch, but Leid popped out to second to strand the runners.

Jesse Moore came in for Kuroda to start the bottom of the sixth and gave the lead back to Nevada. After getting Simas to pop out to second, Moore walked Moss, Bowman and Rodland to load the bases. Kort's two-run single put Nevada up 8-7 and sent Rodland to third. Moore was pulled for Connor Little. Kort went to second on a wild pitch, as Rodland held third. Jaquez walked to load the bases. Melino's sacrifice fly to left made it 9-7, as Kort went to third. With Hart at the plate, Kort was caught stealing home to end the inning.

The Rainbows sent eight batters to the plate in a five-run seventh to take the lead again. Catricala led off with a single to left off Sammy Miller and took second on Macdonald's single to left. Wong's single up the middle scored Catricala and sent Macdonald to second to pull UH to 9-8. Hernandez ran a 2-0 count from Miller, who was then pulled for Tyler Graham. Hernandez walked to load the bases. Van Doornum struck out, but Montplaisir's sacrifice fly to center tied the game at 9. Pinch hitter Christian Johnson drilled an opposite-field three-run home run to left to put UH ahead, 12-9. Shane Hoey reached on a single to third, but was caught stealing second to end the inning.

Two errors allowed the Wolf Pack to tie the game at 12 in a three-run eighth. Moss led off with a walk and took second on Bowman's single to center. Little was pulled for Sam Spangler. Rodland flied out to right toward the foul line, allowing the runners to advance. Kort reached on shortstop Hoey's fielding error that allowed Moss to score and Bowman to take third, as Nevada pulled to 12-10. Jaquez's single to left scored Bowman to make it 12-11 with Kort stopping at second. Pinch hitter Michael Turay, whose ground out to third moved the runners. Hart reached on shortstop Hoey's second fielding error in the inning, allowing Nevada to tie the game at 12 with runners at the corners. Lied lined out to first to end the inning.