Box Score

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (20-9, 1-1 WAC) fell short of another ninth-inning comeback, falling to the Nevada Wolf Pack (15-13, 1-1) 5-4 in front of a crowd of 3,259 at the Les Murakami Stadium Saturday. Craig Johnson (0-1) took the loss in relief while Matt Renfree (2-0) got the win for Nevada. Mario Rivera also picked up his second save of the season for the Pack.

The five runs given up were the most by Hawai`i in the month of March, stopping their run of 13-straight games giving up three runs or less. UH starter Mark Rodrigues had a good outing, giving up one run in 6.0 innings, but took the no-decision.

Brandon Haislet led the Rainbows, going 2-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and two RBI. Vinnie Catricala added a 1-for-4 game with two RBI and a double while Jonathan Hee went 2-for-5 with a run.

Hawai`i put up an early run as Haislet drove in Hee in the bottom of the first. Nevada responded with a run in the fourth before the 'Bows regained the one-run edge in the sixth off another run driven in by Haislet.

But the Wolf Pack came up big in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs, including a three-run double by Shaun Kort, to take the 5-2 edge.

The Rainbows looked for ninth-inning heroics for the second-straight night as Catricala hit a two-run double with one out, cutting UH's deficit back to a run. But Rivera settled down for the Pack, recording the final two outs to preserve the 5-4 victory.

The series concludes tomorrow with the rubber match at 1:05 p.m. at the Les Murakami Stadium.

-UH-