Box Score

RUSTON, La. – The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (16-10, 2-3 WAC) defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (11-17, 2-3 WAC) 13-7 in front of a crowd of 419 at J.C. Love Field. Stephen Bryant (3-2) got the win, giving up just three earned runs in 6.2 innings, striking out a career-high eight batters. Blake Burns (3-2) took the loss for Tech while Richard Olsen gave up just one run in 2.1 innings.

Every Rainbow starter got at least one hit with six 'Bows having multi-hit games. Isaac Omura led the way with a 3-for-4 game with a double and two RBI. Matthew Inouye went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs. Nathan Thurber, Creighton Kahoalii, Brian Finegan and Andrew Sansaver all had two hits apiece while Joshua Green went 1-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored.

Louisiana Tech again got it started early on as Brandon Haygood took the first pitch of the game and sent it far over the centerfield fence. Tech then loaded the bases before a double play and a strikeout minimized the damage, as the Bulldogs led 2-0 after one inning.

The Rainbows came right back in the top of the second as Green led off with a home run before Omura drove in a run to tie the game at two apiece.

Hawai`i then took the lead in the top of the third as Sansaver hit a two-run single, following by a RBI-single by Kahoali`i to make it 5-2. The 'Bows were threatening to add a few more runs but left the bases loaded to end the inning with just a three-run lead.

The 'Bows had a two-out rally in the top of the fourth as Russo hit a shot to left-centerfield that bounced off the top of the wall, back into play, for a RBI-triple. Finegan added another run in the top of the fifth with a two-out, run-scoring double down the leftfield line, making it 7-2.

The Bulldogs were able to score a run in the fifth to cut it to a four-run deficit before Omura drove in and scored a run in the top of the seventh, making it 9-3.

Tech then came up with the answer in the bottom of the seventh as they scored three unearned runs after a questionable call at first base that would've been the third out, cutting the UH lead to 9-6. Thurber added an insurance run in the top of the eighth with a run-scoring single to make it 10-6.

Louisiana Tech looked to rally in the bottom of the eighth, as they loaded the bases with just one out. But Olsen got exactly what he needed as he forced a Bulldog batter into a 5-4-3 double play, ending the threat.

The 'Bows would go on to add three unearned insurance runs in the top of the ninth as the Bulldogs added a solo home run in the bottom of the inning, making the final 13-7.

The Rainbows will close out their six-game road swing against the Bulldogs tomorrow at 1 p.m. CST at J.C. Love Field. Clary Carlsen (4-3) will pitch for the 'Bows against Louisiana Tech's Brad Chedister (0-0).

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