Box Score

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (1-0) defeated the UCLA Bruins (2-3) 11-5 in front of a crowd of 3,526 on opening night at the Les Murakami Stadium Friday night. Christopher George (1-0) picked up the win for UH while Wes Whisler (0-2) got the loss for UCLA.

George started out the game slow, giving up five runs in the first two innings. But the senior came back to retire the final 16 batters he faced to pick up the victory. George ended the night going eight innings with two earned runs and six strikeouts while walking just two. Freshman Guy McDowell pitched a perfect inning in relief.

Freshman Isaac Omura swung the big bat for the 'Bows in his first collegiate game, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, a run scored, a double and a triple. Brian Bock added a 3-for-5 performance with two RBI while Timothy Montgomery went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Joshua Green also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

The Bruins jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first when Chris Denove hit a three-run double. But the Rainbows responded as Nicholas Ponomarenko singled in two runs to highlight a four-run first inning for UH.

UCLA added two more runs in the second to go up 5-4 before Omura and Green drove in a run each in the fourth to put Hawai`i up 6-5.

The Rainbows would get another run before Omura would add all the insurance that UH would need with a three-run triple to right center in the bottom of the fifth, putting UH up 10-5. Bock would add an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, giving Hawai`i the 11-5 final score.

Denove led the way for the Bruins, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Casey Janssen also would go 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

The two teams will face off again tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at the Les Murakami Stadium.