honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:45 p.m., Sunday, March 8, 2009

Rainbows pound Mississippi State, 11-5, win baseball series

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
spacer spacer

Hawai'i hit in double digits for a second consecutive game to knock off No. 26 Mississippi State, 11-5, today to win the series, 3-1, before 1,485 at Les Murakami Stadium.

Greg Garcia went 3 for 4 with three runs and freshman Kolten Wong hit his first career home run for UH (6-6) paced UH's 12-hit attack.

UH starter Matt Sisto was unable to last the five-inning minimum to qualify for the win. Josh Slaats (1-1) allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings with five strikeouts.

Chad Crosswhite (0-1) gave up seven runs in two-plus innings, allowing seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts for the Bulldogs (8-4).

The Rainbows took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Greg Garia led off with a single to right-center and took second when second baseman Jet Bulter fumbled a double-play grounder off the bat of Kolten Wong that allowed him to reach first. Vinnie Catricala followed with an opposite-field single to right to score Garcia and move Wong to third. Kevin Macdonald flied out to left for an apparent sacrifice fly, but it was ruled that Wong left third too early and was ruled out for a double play. After Catricala stole second, Jeffrey Van Doornum grounded out to the pitcher for the third out.

Hawai'i added three in the second. Landon Hernandez was hit by a pitch and Christian Johnson walked. Shane Hoey reached on a bunt single to third, but Crosswhite's throw to first with no one covering allowed Hernandez to score, Johnson to reach third and Hoey to second. Matt Roquemore grounded out to short to score Johnson to make it 3-0 with Hoey stopping at third. Garcia's single to center scored Hoey to make it 4-0.

The Rainbows tacked on three more in the third. Macdonald led off with a single to center and stopped at second on Van Doornum's single to left. A wild pitch moved the runners to set up Hernandez's RBI single that moved Van Doornum to third. Crosswhite was lifted for Greg Houston. Hernandez stole second without drawing a throw before Johnson struck out. Hoey's ground single scored Van Doornum to make it 6-0 with Hernandez stopping at third. Matt Roquemore reached on a fielder's choice grounder to short for a force at second to score Hernandez to make it 7-0. Roquemore stole second, but Garcia struck out to end the inning.

The Bulldogs got on the board in the fourth. Luke Adkins led off with a double to right-center and scored on Connor Power's double in the same area to make it 7-1. After Jarrod Parks popped out to second, Powers went to third on Jet Bulter's single to center. Mark Goforth walked to load the bases. Ryan Powers struck out and Brent Brownlee popped out to second to end the inning.

Mississippi State scored three in the fouth. Sisto was unable to take advantage of the early lead, as he was pulled after four-plus innings. In the fifth, Ryna Collins led off with a triple to left-center and scored on Ryan Duffy's single to right to pull MSU to 7-2. Sisto was pulled for left-hander Ryan Davis and was greeted by pinch hitter Cody Freeman's single to left that moved Duffy to second. Connor Powers popped out to second, but Parks singled to left to load the bases. Butler's RBI single to left made it 7-3 and reloaded the bases. Davis was pulled for Josh Slaats, who struck out pinch hitter Jason Nappi. But Ryan Powers walks to force home a run to make it 7-4 before Brownlee struck out to end the inning.

Hawai'i added a run in the fifth. Hernandez led off with a walk. Johnson lined out to short, but shortstop Ryan Powers' throw to first to double-off Hernandez went into the dugout, allowing Hernandez two bases, putting him on third, where he scored on Hoey's sacrifice fly to center to increased UH's lead to 8-4.

The Rainbows added another run in the sixth. Garcia led off with a four-pitch walk and Wong popped out to third. Catricala's single to right-center sent Garcia to third. Macdonald walked, but Garcia scored on a wild pitch on ball four to make it 9-4. Bowen was pulled for Caleb Reed, who struck out Van Doornum. Hernandez walked to load the bases, but Johnson fouled out to the catcher to end the inning.

Hawai'i kept the scoring going in the seventh. With two outs, Garcia doubled down the right-field line and Wong homered to right, his first of the season and career, to make it 11-4.

The Bulldogs got one back in the eight. Nappi singled to short before Ryan Powers struck out. Nappi took second on a wild pitch and scored on Brownlee's single to center to make it 11-5. On the throw back, Brownlee took second. But Slaats struck out Collins and Duffy grounded out to second to keep the Bulldogs' deficit at six.