Box Score

HONOLULU - Matthew Inouye went 5-for-5, including the game-winning RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth, to lead the University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (4-1) past UC Irvine (3-2) 4-3 in front of a crowd of 2,449 at the Les Murakami Stadium Friday. Darrell Fisherbaugh pitched two hitless innings with no hits and three strikeouts to get the win while Dylan Axelrod took the loss.

Inouye had two RBI and a double to add to his 5-for-5 performance, the first 5-for-5 game of his career. Joseph Spiers came out of his slump, going 3-for-4 with a double and two stolen bases. Jonathan Hee added a 1-for-3 game with two runs while Justin Frash went 1-for-2 with a run.

Hawai`i got on the board in the bottom of the first as Hee and Frash both scored on wild pitches. Inouye then singled in Hee in the third to put the Rainbow lead to 3-0. UH starter Steven Wright held the Anteaters for most of the game, allowing just one run in the fourth. Wright went 7.0 innings, giving up just two hits with four strikeouts and left the game with a 3-1 lead.

But UCI was able to get to the UH bullpen, scoring two runs in the eighth inning to tie the score at three. And the Anteaters were threatening in the top of the ninth with a runner on second with just one out. But Fisherbaugh struck out Bryan Peterson and Hee made a great jumping catch on a line drive by Jaime Martinez, keeping the score tied going into the bottom of the ninth.

Derek DuPree led off the inning with a single before Hee reached on an error by UCI catcher Aaron Lowenstein. Frash sacrificed the two runners over, forcing the Anteaters to intentially walk Luis Avila to load the bases for Inouye. Inouye took the 1-1 pitch and hit a high groundball up the middle, scoring DuPree to give UH the thrilling victory.

The two teams continue the series tomorrow as Ian Harrington goes for the 'Bows against UCI's Scott Gorgen. The game will start at 6:35 p.m. at the Les Murakami Stadium.

-UH-