Box Score

RUSTON, La. - The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (20-22, 12-9 WAC) beat the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (16-23, 2-17) 13-7 in the series-opener at J.C. Love Field Friday. Jared Alexander (6-3) picked up the victory with Luke Burnett (0-4) taking the loss for LTU.

Vinnie Catricala led the offensive effort for UH, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, three RBI and two runs. Sean Montplaisir hit his first career home run, going 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs. Landon Hernandez went 2-for-5 with three RBI while Jonathan Hee went 2-for-4 with a run. Brandon Haislet added a 1-for-3 game with three runs and one RBI with Jeffrey Van Doornum going 2-for-6 with a run and one RBI.

The Rainbows jumped all over the Bulldogs early, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning. Van Doornum and Hernandez were the only two batters to get hits in the inning, posting a one-run and two-run single, respectively.

Louisiana Tech responded right away, scoring a run on three hits in the bottom of the first, making it 5-1. UH added a couple more runs in the top of the third, including another RBI-single by Hernandez, pushing the Rainbow lead to 7-1.

Hawai`i had another big inning in the top of the sixth. Haislet started the scoring with a RBI-single before Catricala hit a three-run triple to rightfield, making the difference 11-1.

But the Bulldogs didn't just lie down and let the Rainbows get away with an easy 10-run rule win. Tech scored three runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings, capped by a long home run to left by Clay Alexander, cutting the deficit to 11-7.

But Montplaisir came up with the insurance runs UH needed in the top of the eighth, blasting a two-run homer to rightfield, making it 13-7. Cory Kahn settled the Tech offense in the last three innings, pitching 2.1 no-hit innings to finish out the game.

The two teams continue the series tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. (8 a.m. HST).

-UH-