Box Score

RENO, Nev. - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (34-24) defeated the Sacramento State Hornets (17-40) 19-7 in an elimination game at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Friday. The game was called after seven innings due to the tournament's 10-run rule. Cameron Wheeler (1-0) pitched 3.2 innings of relief to get the win while Alvaro Orozco (5-6) got the loss for the Hornets.

Elijah Christensen led the way, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, four runs and a home run. Landon Hernandez added a 2-for-4 game with five RBI, a double and a home run. Kevin Macdonald was 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs and a double while Jonathan Hee went 3-for-5 with three runs and one RBI. Vinnie Catricala was 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run while Kris Sanchez was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. Brandon Haislet also had a good game, going 2-for-4 with three runs.

After Sanchez singled in a run in the first inning, the Rainbow bats caught fire, posting nine runs in the second inning. Hee started it off with a RBI-single, followed by a two-run single by Christensen. Sanchez then drove in a run before Macdonald had a two-run single, making it 7-0. Catricala drove in another run with Hernandez adding a two-run double to get it to 10-0.

The Hornets put up two runs in the bottom of the second only to see a four-run inning by the 'Bows, highlighted by a two-run double by Macdonald, in the top of hte third make it 14-2.

Christensen added his two-run home run in the fourth with Hernandez making the final strike, a three-run homer in the seventh, getting UH out of the game with the 19-7 win in seven innings.

The Rainbows will next play tomorrow at 3 p.m. (noon HST) against either the loser of the San Jose State-Nevada game or Louisiana Tech, depending on the results of the games taking place later in the day.

-UH-