HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (3-6) lost a pitcher's duel to No. 26 Mississippi State (8-1) 3-1 in front of a crowd of 2,224 at Les Murakami Stadium Thursday. Jayson Kramer (1-2) pitched well, allowing two runs in 8.0 innings, but took the loss. Tyler Whitney (1-0) got the win for MSU.

 

Shane Hoey hit his first career home run for the Rainbows, going 1-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt. Kolten Wong and Greg Garcia both doubled in the game while Vinnie Catricala accounted for UH's only other hit.

 

After five and a half scoreless innings, Hoey broke the silence with a solo home run to straight-away centerfield to start the bottom of the sixth.

 

But the Bulldogs answered right back in the seventh, posting two runs on three hits. Hawai`i minimized the damage with their third double play of the game, keeping the score at 2-1.

 

Mississippi State added an insurance run in the top of the ninth to get it to 3-1. UH had a chance in the bottom of the ninth as Garcia drew a lead-off walk before Catricala singled. After a strikeout, Macdonald walked to load the bases with just one out. But this time it was MSU that would benefit from the double play, turning a 5-4-3 play around the horn to end the game at 3-1.

 

The two teams meet in the second game of the series tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium, before concluding with a pair of 1:05 p.m. games on Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8.