Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team fell to the No. 9 UC Irvine Anteaters 5-4 in the first game of the doubleheader at Les Murakami Stadium Saturday. Nate Klein allowed five runs in 6.0 innings to take the loss. Christian Bergman got the win for UCI, allowing just one earned run in 8.0 innings pitched, while Eric Pettis picked up the save.
The Anteaters jumped on Klein early, posting a four-run first inning before the junior settled down. UCI put up a solo home run by Francis Larson in the third to go ahead 5-0 before UH started to mount a comeback.
Catricala hit a sacrifice fly to score a run for the Rainbows in the bottom of the third, with
Landon Hernandez sacrificing in another run in the fourth. Johnson then provided the home run in the bottom of the eighth, hitting a homer to left that landed on the sidewalk across the street from the stadium, pulling Hawai`i within a run at 5-4.
But Pettis, a preseason first-team All American, came up with his first save of the season, retiring the Rainbows in order in the ninth, preserving the victory.
The Rainbows (0-3) also lost the second game of the doubleheader to the Anteaters (3-0), 5-4, in a scheduled seven-inning game.
Alex Capaul took the loss for UH, allowing three earned runs in 4.0 innings. Brock Bardeen got the win for UCI while Pettis picked up his second save of the day.
Jeffrey Van Doornum led the way for UH, going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs. Catricala went 2-for-4 with a run while Macdonald had two RBI. Johnson added a triple, while
Kolten Wong and
Greg Garcia also had doubles.
Sam Spangler pitched well in relief, allowing just one unearned run in 3.0 innings without giving up a hit.
UH got on the scoreboard early as four-straight hits, including an RBI-single by Catricala and a two-run single by Macdonald put the Rainbows ahead 3-0.
The Anteaters responded right away, rallying for three runs with two outs in the top of the second, tying the game at 3-3. UCI then took the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring on a sacrifice fly to right field with a very close play at the plate, giving them a 4-3 edge.
UC Irvine added an unearned run in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 5-3. But Johnson responded in the bottom of the fifth, whacking a RBI-triple to pull UH within a run. But Johnson was stranded at third, keeping Hawai`i down a run.
The 'Bows then opened the seventh with back-to-back singles by Catricala and Van Doornum. But after a pop up, Johnson grounded into a double play that ended the game.
The two teams will close out the series tomorrow with a game at 1:05 p.m. UH will pitch freshman
Matt Sisto against UCI's Nick Hoover.
-UH-
