Box Score

HOUSTON - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (26-25, 13-12 WAC) upset the No. 12 Rice Owls (36-16, 16-9) 7-4 in front of a crowd of 2,782 at Reckling Park Friday. Stephen Bryant (8-3) got the win for the 'Bows while Josh Geer (9-4) took the loss for the Owls. Steven Wright came in and pitched 2.1 perfect innings with four strikeouts to earn his fourth save of the year.

Isaac Omura extended his hitting streak to 10 games, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a triple. Esteban Lopez added a 4-for-4 game with two runs while Derek DuPree went 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs. Erik Ammon also came up big for UH with a 1-for-5 game with three RBI and a run.

The Owls opened the scoring in the bottom of the second as Adam Rodgers led off with a solo home run to left field, giving Rice a 1-0 edge.

But the Rainbows came right back in the top of the third as DuPree hit a bunt single that scored Matthew Inouye to tie it at one. UH had a chance to take the lead in the game but couldn't capitalize, leaving the bases loaded.

Hawai`i got their big inning in the fifth as Ammon drove in a run before Omura hit a two-run single to right field, giving the 'Bows a 4-1 advantage. UH looked to add to their lead but hit into an inning-eding double play with the bases loaded, keeping the Owls within three.

The 'Bows put up three more runs in the top of the sixth as Ammon hit a two-run single up the middle before Omura whacked a RBI-triple over the Rice centerfielder's head, making it 7-1 in favor of Hawai`i.

But the Owls wouldn't go away that quickly as they scored a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh, on a two-run homer to left by Clay Reichenbach, to get right back into it at 7-4.

But Wright kept the Owls at bay the rest of the way, preserving the Rainbow victory.

The two teams will continue their series at Reckling Park tomorrow at 2 p.m. Central (9 a.m. Hawai`i time).

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