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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, May 23, 2009

Fresno State ousts Hawai‘i from WAC tourney, 10-3


Advertiser Staff

Third-seeded Fresno State will return to defend its league title at noon tomorrow after eliminating fifth-seeded Hawai‘i,10-3, today at the NAPA Auto Parts Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament at Les Murakami Stadium.

The Bulldogs (30-28) will play the winner of tonight's San Jose State-New Mexico State game. Fresno State must win twice tomorrow to win the title and secure the NCAA tournament berth that comes with it.
Danny Muno had three RBI and hit a two-run homer, while Tom Mendonca hit a solo home run.
Gene Escat (1-1) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless of relief after starter Josh Poytress went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs.

Jared Alexander (3-3) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs, nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts for UH (32-26).

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Tom Mendonca's two-out, solo home run to dead center that landed onto the street.
The Rainbows tied it in the bottom of the second. Kolten Wong reached on first baseman Jordan Ribera's fielding error and went to third on Sean Montplaisir's ground single to right; Montplaisir took second on the throw to third. With the infield bac, Jeffrey Van Doornum grounded out to second to advance the runners, tying the game at 1. With one out and the infield in with a runner at third, Christian Johnson grounded out sharply to second, freezing the runner and Kevin Fujii grounded out to third to end the inning.
Fresno State regained the lead in the fourth when Brennan Gowens drew a two-out walk and scored on Kenny Wise's double to right-center.
Hawai‘i tied it in the fifth. Kevin Fujii singled up the middle and Ryan Morford walked. After Greg Garcia flied out to right, Vinnie Catricala singled up the middle to score Fujii to tie the game at 2.
The Bulldogs took back the lead in the seventh when Isacc Vivas singled to left with one out and Danny Muno drilled a home run to center to make it 4-2. After striking out Dusty Robinson, UH starter Jared Alexander was pulled for the left-handed Sam Spangler to face the left-handed hitting Mendonca, who struck out to end the inning.

The Bulldogs blew it open by sending 10 batters up in a four-run eighth. Ribera and Gowen hit back-to-back singles, chasing Spangler for the right-handed Josh Slaats. Pinch hitter Steve Detwier's two-run double to center. After Gavin Hestrom reached on an error, Trent Garrison's ground-rule double to right-center made it 7-2. Slaats was removed for Connor Little, who walked Vivas to load the bases. Muno's sacrifice fly to right advanced all the runners and made it 8-2.Little was replaced by Lenny Linsky, who retired Robinson on a grounder to short with the infield drawn in. Mendonca was intentionally walked to load the bases.But pinch hitter Jake Johnson fouled out to the catcher.

Vivas' two-run triple in the ninth made it 10-2.