Box Score

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (3-1) defeated their in-state rival UH-Hilo Vulcans (2-15) 8-2 in front of a crowd of 2,077 at the Les Murakami Stadium Tuesday. Nicholas Ponomarenko (1-0) picked up the win for the Rainbows while Daniel Lockett (0-2) got the loss for UH-Hilo.

Tim Montgomery led the team, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Schafer Magana also homered, going 1-for-3 with a two RBI. Brian Finegan added a 2-for-4 night with a run scored while Joshua Green went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Freshman Matthew Inouye also played well in his first collegiate game, going 1-for-2 with a triple.

Ponomarenko led the charge on the mound, giving up no runs in three innings of work while striking out four. Starter Keahi Rawlins pitched well in his first collegiate game, giving up two runs in four innings while striking out three batters. Senior Bryan Lee pitched a perfect inning in relief.

The game started as a pitcher's duel as Lockett took a no-hitter into the third inning before Magana hit a home run to left field to put the 'Bows up 1-0. But the Vulcans came back as Alan Sarmiento hit a two-out single with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to put UH-Hilo up 2-1.

Russo sacrifice flied in Green in the bottom of the fourth inning, tying the score at two before Omura drove in a two-run single in the fifth inning to put the Rainbows up 4-2. Hawai`i added another run on a Magana sac fly in the sixth inning to take the score to 6-2.

Russo scored on a Vulcan error in the seventh before Montgomery blasted a big home run over the left field wall, extending the Rainbow lead to 8-2.

Hawai`i will next play the Sacramento State Hornets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Les Murakami Stadium. Friday and Saturdays' games will be at 5:05 p.m., while Sunday's game will start at 1:05 p.m.