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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 16, 2010

New Mexico State stops Rainbows in series finale, 10-7


Advertiser Staff

Nate Shaver drove in four runs to lead New Mexico State over Hawai'i, 10-7, today to avoid getting swept in the four-game Western Athletic Conference series before 3,123 at Les Murakami Stadium.

Shaver led off the game with a home run, hit a two-run double in a five-run fifth and a sacrifice fly in a four-run sixth.

Ryan Beck (3-0) allowed four runs, six hits and seven walks in 5 1/3 innings for NMSU (36-19-1 overall, 14-9-1 WAC). Steven Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth, allowing a hit, for his third save.

Connor Little (2-1) gave up six runs, six hits and a walk in four-plus innings for UH (26-23, 9-11).

The Aggies didn't take long to strike, as Nate Shaver hit the first pitch of the game for a home run to right to make it 1-0.

Hawai'i wasted little time responding in the bottom of the first. With two out, Jeffrey Van Doornum singled to third and David Freitas walked. Greg Garcia singled to left to score Van Doornum to tie the game at 1, as Freitas stopped at second. Collin Bennett's two-run double to right put UH ahead, 3-1.

Hawai'i increased its lead to 4-1 in the third. Pi'ikea Kitamura led off with a single and Van Doornum walked. Both advanced on Freitas' sacrifice. Kitamura scored when Garcia reached on a fielder's choice grounder to shortstop, who threw Van Doornum out going to third.

The Aggies sent nine batters to the plate in a five-run fifth to take the lead. Wade Reynoso led off by getting hit by a pitch and wen to second on Parker Hipp's single to left. Zac Fisher's RBI single moved Hipp to third cut the Aggies' deficit to 4-2. Wesley Starkes' bunt single to first scored Hipp and sent Fisher to second. Shaver's two-run double to right put the Aggies ahead, 5-4. Ryan Aguayo's RBI single to right made it 6-4. Little went into his windup but didn't release his pitch for a balk, moving Aguayo to second. Little was lifted for Blair Walters.

Aguirre flied out to deep center to advance Aguayo to third. Pinch hitter Ben Harty walked, but Chace Perkins grounded to third for an inning-ending double play.

The Aggies added to their lead in the sixth agianst Walters, who loaded the bases by allowing two singles and a walk that set up Shaver's sacrifice fly to center to make it 7-4. Aguayo's RBI single that followed made it 8-4 with runners at the corners. Aguirre's two-run triple pushed it to 10-4.

The Rainbows shaved their deficit to three by sending nine up in a three-run seventh. Kevin Macdonald led off with a single against Adam Heredia and an out later, took second on Moore's single. Kolten Wong's single loaded the bases to set up Kitamura's walk to force in a run. Van Doornum also walked to bring home another rn to pull UH to 10-6. After falling behind 2-0 on Van Dorrnum, Heredia was pulled for Scott Coffman. Freitas was called out on strikes. Garcia's RBI single reloaded the bases, but Bennett struck out to end the inning.