Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (25-13, 6-4 WAC) hung on to defeat the Fresno State Bulldogs (21-19, 6-4) 9-8 in front of a crowd of 1,914 at Pete Beiden Field Friday. Mark Rodrigues (7-2) picked up the victory for UH while Tyler Davis came up with his third save of the season. Clayton Allison (6-3) got the loss for the Bulldogs.

Kris Sanchez led the way for Hawai`i offensively, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a home run. Vinnie Catricala added a 3-for-5 game with a run while Jonathan Hee was 3-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and one run.

Sanchez started off the Rainbow bats in the second inning, blasting a two-run home run to left-center, putting Hawai`i ahead 2-0. That started a five-run inning in which UH was aided by two Fresno State errors.

The Bulldogs put up a run in the bottom of the second to cut their deficit back to 5-1. Ozzie Lewis hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth to further cut back UH's lead, to 5-2.

The Bulldogs pulled within two runs as Todd Sandell hit another solo home run, in the bottom of the fifth. But UH put up two runs in the top of the sixth on three-straight doubles by Hee, Jorge Franco and Justin Frash. Hee again doubled in the top of the seventh, driving in another run for the Rainbows to extend UH's lead back up to 8-3.

Sanchez drove in another run in the top of the eighth to get the Rainbow advantage to 9-3. But the Bulldogs rallied in the bottom of the eighth, scoring five runs to cut it back to 9-8.

Fresno State's Loren Storey singled up the middle to start the bottom of the ninth, but was thrown out trying to take second base on the play. Davis then buckled down, striking down the final two batters of the game to close out the victory.

The two teams continue their series tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. at Pete Beiden Field.

-UH-