Box Score

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (8-3) defeated the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (2-2) 5-1 in front of a crowd of 253 at Ceasar Uyesaka Stadium Saturday. Mark Rodrigues (4-0) pitched his career game, allowing just one run on three hits in a complete-game victory. Jeff Braun (0-1) took the loss for the Gauchos.

Rodrigues faced only one batter over the minimum, getting the complete game in just 82 pitches. The only batter that Rodrigues didn't get out was Mike Zuanich, who hit the home run. The other two UCSB players who got hits in the game were caught stealing and forced out as part of a double play.

Elijah Christensen led UH offensively, going 2-for-3 with one RBI. Kris Sanchez extended his hitting streak to 15 games, going 1-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and a run. Brandon Haislet added a 2-for-5 game with one RBI, a double and a stolen base while Justin Frash was 1-for-4 with two runs scored. Jorge Franco also added a 1-for-3 game with two runs.

The 'Bows threatened to score in the third inning, putting the first two batters on base. But UCSB came up with a big double play to end the inning with the game remaining scoreless. Both pitchers kept control of the game for the first four and a half innings, with Rodrigues facing the minimum number of batters through four. But Zuanich changed that in the bottom of the fifth, hitting a leadoff home run to give the Gauchos a 1-0 edge.

Hawai`i finally got on the board in the top of the sixth. Sanchez hit a two-run triple down the right line before Christensen singled him in, putting UH ahead 3-1.

Frash scored a run in the top of the eigth on a wild pitch, getting it to 4-1. Haislet then hit a RBI-single in the top of the ninth to get the Rainbow lead to 5-1.

The two teams will close out their series tomorrow, in the rubber match. Joshua Schneider will pitch for the Rainbows against UCSB's Mike Ford.

-UH-