Box Score

HONOLULU - Behind a brilliant pitching performance by Jared Alexander, the University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (8-13) shut out the Fresno State Bulldogs (8-11) 4-0 in front of a crowd of 2,315 in the Western Athletic Conference opener at Les Murakami Stadium Thursday. Alexander (3-2) pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and two walks, while striking out a career-high 10, to get the victory. Tanner Scheppers (3-2) struck out 11 for the Bulldogs, but took the loss.

Sean Montplaisir led the offensive effort for UH, going 2-for-4 with a triple, one RBI and two runs. Brandon Haislet added a 2-for-3 game with a triple, a stolen base and a run while Jonathan Hee went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Alex Myers added one RBI while going 1-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

The Rainbows jumped ahead in the bottom of the second as Montplaisir hit a triple to deep center, bringing in Haislet to put up the first run of the game. Hee then drove in Montplaisir later in the inning to push UH's edge to 2-0.

Vinnie Catricala would drove in Montplaisir in the fifth before a RBI-single by Myers, bringing in Hee in the seventh gave Hawai`i a 4-0 cushion. The Rainbows had a chance to blow the game open in that seventh inning, loading the bases later in the inning. But Jake Hower came in to stop the threat, striking out the final UH batter of the inning, keeping it as a four-run ballgame.

And that was more than enough for Alexander, who allowed just two hits in the first seven innings. In the ninth, the junior got into the biggest jam of the evening, allowing runners on the corners with just one out. But Alexander was able to strike out the next batter before retiring the final Fresno State player on a ground out, preserving his shutout.

The two teams continue their series tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium, before the final two games in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22, starting at 1:05 p.m.

-UH-