Box Score

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (26-16, 7-7 WAC) fell to the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (30-15, 10-4) 10-9 in front of a sell-out crowd of 4,666 at Les Murakami Stadium Saturday. Tyler Davis (5-2) took the loss while Alan Knotts (1-1) got the win for the Bulldogs. Brian Rike picked up his first save of the year as well.

Evan Zimny led the way for Hawai`i, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI, two runs and three walks. Justin Frash drew four walks in a 1-for-2 game with two runs while Vinnie Catricala went 2-for-5 with one RBI, one double and one run.

Hawai`i started the runfest, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Tech responded with a three-run inning in the top of the second, only to see Zimny's solo home run tie the score at 3-3 after two.

Louisiana Tech reclaimed the lead with a run in the third. But UH again came back in the bottom of the inning. Frash first scored on a wild pitch before Catricala singled in another run, giving the Rainbows the 5-4 edge.

A run in the fourth by Tech tied the score, with the Bulldogs taking the 6-5 lead after another run in the top of the fifth. But that lead wouldn't last either. Catricala started the scoring in the bottom of the fifth, coming in on a wild pitch. Kevin Macdonald laid down a beautiful bunt single to score Zimny and give Hawai`i back the lead. Landon Hernandez would add another run in the inning on a balk, putting UH ahead 8-6.

Courtney Jones tied the game for the sixth time in the top of the sixth with a two-run homer, making it 8-8. But Zimny again came up big with a RBI-single to put the Rainbows ahead 9-8 after six innings.

After a scoreless seventh inning, Louisiana Tech tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Later in the inning, Rike hit his 20th home run of the season, giving the Bulldogs the 10-9 advantage.

Hawai`i had their chance in the bottom of the ninth as Elijah Christensen led off the inning with a triple to right field. But Rike would come in and shut down the Rainbows by recording the final two outs, giving the Bulldogs the exciting 10-9 victory.

The two teams will close the series with the rubber match at 1:05 p.m. at the Les Murakami Stadium.

-UH-