Box Score

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (26-15, 7-6 WAC) scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (29-15, 9-4) 7-4 in front of a season-high crowd of 3,973 at the Les Murakami Stadium Friday. Matt Daly (3-1) got the win, allowing no runs on one hit and one walk with four strikeouts. Aaron Lorio (3-1) took the loss.

Brandon Haislet went 3-for-5 with two RBI, two runs and a home run. Kris Sanchez added a 3-for-3 game with two doubles and one RBI while Justin Frash was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and one RBI. Elijah Christensen also added a 2-for-4 game.

The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard first, putting up two runs on a hit that took a bad bounce over Sanchez at first base, giving Tech the 2-0 edge. But the Rainbows came right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring two on a home run by Haislet, tying the score.

Hawai`i was able to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Matt Roquemore scored on a passed ball, putting the 'Bows ahead 3-2.

Louisiana Tech took back the lead with two in the top of the seventh, going ahead 4-3. The Rainbows had a great opportunity in the bottom of the inning, but left the bases loaded to keep their one-run deficit.

But UH came up with the big heroics in the eighth. Kevin Macdonald hit a pinch-hit single to left, but Christensen was gunned down at the plate on the play, keeping the Bulldogs ahead. But on the very next play, Frash hit a ball up the middle that went off the pitcher's glove, scoring a run. Louisiana Tech then committed two throwing errors on the play, allowing pinch runner Jorge Franco and Frash to score, putting the Rainbows ahead 6-4. Sanchez later drove in Haislet to push UH's advantage to 7-4, which is the score by which it would end.

The series continues tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at the Les Murakami Stadium. Less than 100 tickets remained for the Saturday game at the close of Friday night's game, but UH will sell standing-room only tickets if the game is sold out.

-UH-