Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. - The No. 24 University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (43-14) defeated the Nevada Wolf Pack (26-28) 11-2 in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament at Pete Beiden Field Friday, advancing the 'Bows to the Championship series, where they will play Fresno State at noon (9 HST) tomorrow. Mark Rodrigues (4-2) pitched 7.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits with six strikeouts to get the win. Matt Renfree (2-3) took the loss for Nevada.

Derek DuPree came up with the big blast, hitting a grand slam for his first collegiate home run. He ended up 2-for-5 on the game with two runs and four RBI. Justin Frash added a 3-for-3 game with a home run, two runs and two RBI. Luis Avila went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run while Robbie Wilder finished the game with three runs scored.

Frash opened the scoring in the first inning, blasting a two-run home run to right field to put the `Bows up 2-0. DuPree then came up with his grand slam in the bottom of the second, pulling a ball over the rightfield wall to give UH a 6-0 advantage.

Jonathan Hee drove in another run in the bottom of the third to give the Rainbows a 7-0 edge. The Wolf Pack would get a run in the top of the fourth on a long solo home run over the scoreboard in left field by Shawn Scobee.

Matthew Inouye drove in a run in the fourth with Nevada responding with a run of their own in the top of the fifth, making the score 8-2. UH added two more runs on a two-run single by Avila in the sixth to push it to 10-2. The `Bows added one last run in the bottom of the eighth, making the final 11-2.

Hawai`i will play No. 21 Fresno State, who are undefeated in the tournament thus far. If UH wins the game at noon, the two teams will play again for the WAC title.

-UH-