Box Score

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (2-2) lost a slugfest to the Georgia Southern Eagles (1-0) 13-11 in the series-opener at the Les Murakami Stadium Thursday. Ian Harrington (1-1) had a rough outing, losing for the first time in his last six starts. Charlie Strohecker (1-0) took the win for GSU.

Justin Frash had a big day for Hawai`i, ging 3-for-4 with two RBI, three runs and a double. Brandon Haislet added a 2-for-3 game with four runs and a double while Kris Sanchez continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and a run. Landon Hernandez was 2-for-4 wih three RBI, a double and a run while Elijah Christensen went 2-for-5 with one RBI and one run.

Georgia Southern jumped on Harrington early in the game, scoring four runs in the first and three more in the second. Hawai`i stayed in it, scoring three in the first and one in the second, keeping their deficit at 7-4.

The Eagles added a run in the third and two more in the fourth to extend their advantage to 10-4. But the 'Bows battled back, putting up a big four run inning in the bottom of the fifth. Sanchez and Hernandez both had two-run doubles in the inning, getting UH back within two at 10-8.

Mike Economos answered the bell for GSU in the top of the sixth, blasting a solo home run that highlighted a 5-for-5 game wih five RBI, five runs and two doubles.

UH again pulled within two runs in the bottom of the seventh as Evan Zimny hit a RBI-double to left center, making it 11-9. But the Eagles put up two more in the top of the eighth, extending their edge to 13-9.

Down four runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Rainbows continued to make it interesting. Frash and Haislet walked to start it off, before Sanchez singled to load the bases. After the Eagles got two outs, Hernandez walked to bring in a run. Then Haislet scored on a wild pitch, cutting it back to 13-11. But GSU's Kyle Kamppi got through the inning, ending the game on a strikeout.

The two teams will go at it again tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at the Les Murakami Stadium. Mark Rodrigues will take the mound for Hawai`i against Georgia Southern's Drew Murray.

-UH-