Box Score

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (32-23, 10-13 WAC) held on to a 7-6 in over Fresno State (32-26, 17-6) in front of a crowd of 3,593 at the Les Murakami Stadium Sunday. Mark Rodrigues (9-3) got the win, allowing just two hits in 5.0 innings. Tanner Scheppers (5-5) took the loss for Fresno State. Nicholas Rhodes got the final out of the game to pick up the save.

With the win, Hawai`i secures the No. 5 seed in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament and will face second-seeded Nevada, the tournament host, at 7 p.m. (4 p.m. HST) on Thursday, May 24, at Peccole Park in Reno, Nev.

Justin Frash led the way, going 2-for-5 with two RBI. Landon Hernandez added a 2-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and a double. Brandon Haislet added a 2-for-4 game with one run. Matt Roquemore went 1-for-1 with two walks and a double.

After three scoreless innings, the UH bats exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Hernandez hit a two-run double to start the scoring before Derek DuPree doubled in another run. On that play, Roquemore came around to score on a Bulldog error, making it 4-0.

Rodrigues would give up his first hit in the fifth inning, eventually allowing two before leaving the game after five innings. UH was able to add another run in the seventh before allowing Fresno State back into the game in the eighth inning. FS scored four runs in the inning, cutting their deficit back to one run at 5-4.

But the 'Bows were able to add insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as Frash hit a two-run single to center, giving Hawai`i the 7-4 cushion. Fresno State again went to work in the top of the ninth, pushing across two runs with two outs to get it back to 7-6. But Rhodes was able to come in and strike out the final batter, preserving the victory.

The two teams will close out their series tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at the Les Murakami Stadium for senior night.

-UH-