Box Score
RUSTON, La. - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (15-10, 1-3 WAC) fell to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (11-16, 2-2 WAC) 7-6 in 10 innings in front of a crowd of 363 at J.C. Love Field.
Darrell Fisherbaugh (0-1) took the loss while Bulldog Matt Lacy (1-3) got the win.
Matthew Inouye led the way for UH, going 2-for-5 with a double, one run and two RBI. Gregory Kish extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a 2-for-4 game with two RBI. Rocky Russo also went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run while Nathan Thurber added his fourth home run of the season.
Ricky Bauer had his shortest outing of the season, giving up five run in 3.1 innings, pitching his first no-decision of the year. Guy McDowell pitched well in relief, giving up just two hits and one run while striking out three in four innings. Fisherbaugh had two walks and three strikeouts without giving up a hit in 1.2 innings, but he was responsible for the game-winning run.
Tech got on the board early as Jeff Walker hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. The `Bows quickly responded as Kish hit a two-RBI single up the middle in the top of the second, tying it up.
Hawai`i then took the lead at 3-2 in the top of the third when Inouye hit a RBI-double down the leftfield line, scoring Daniel Magana.
The Bulldogs then got their big inning in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs, including a solo home run by Steve Winters, to take back the lead at 5-3.
The Rainbow bats finally came back to life in the top of the eighth as Inouye and Russo hit RBI-singles to tie it up at 5-5. Tech then regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning as Jeremy Alford scored on an error after hitting a triple to the left-center gap.
But Hawai`i wouldn't stay down for long as Thurber whacked a solo home run over the leftfield fence on the first pitch of the ninth inning, tying it again at 6-6. Kish got on base, and, with a sacrifice bunt by Magana, moved over the second with just one out. But the Rainbows were unable to score Kish, leaving it at 6-6. Fisherbaugh was then able to shut down the Bulldogs in the bottom half of the inning, sending the game to extra innings.
The `Bows weren't able to pick up a run in the top of the 10th. Louisiana Tech loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 10th before freshman Brady Bascle got his first collegiate hit to drive in the game-winner, ending the game at 7-6.
The Rainbows will play game two of the series against the Bulldogs tomorrow at 6 p.m. CST at J.C. Love Field. Stephen Bryant (2-2) will pitch for the `Bows against Louisiana Tech's Blake Burns (3-1).
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