RENO, Nev. – The No. 23 University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (21-12, 4-3 WAC) split two games against the Nevada Wolf Pack (16-17, 5-2) at Peccole Park Saturday, winning the completion of Friday's game 13-11 before falling 10-5 in the night cap.

 

In the first game, the continuation of Friday's night's game, UH beat Nevada 13-11. Matt Sisto (4-2) got the win, allowing five runs in 6.1 innings after starting the continuation of the game. Josh Slaats picked up the save, his fourth of the season. Jason McClaren (1-1) took the loss for Nevada.

 

Kolten Wong continued his hot play on this road trip, going 4-for-5 with five RBI, a home run, a double and two runs. Greg Garcia was 3-for-6 with a homer, a triple, two RBI and three runs while Vinnie Catricala was 3-for-5 with two doubles, three runs and one RBI. Sean Montplaisir went 2-for-4 with two doubles with Matt Roquemore going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs. Ryan Morford also had a productive day, scoring twice with two RBI.

 

UH jumped out of the gates as Garcia# led off the game with a home run. The 'Bows would add two more runs on RBI-single by Macdonald and Kolten Wong, giving Hawai`i a 3-0 edge.

 

Nevada came right back in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs to take the lead 4-3. But the Rainbows again answered as Wong added a two-run double before scoring on a single by Jeffrey Van Doornum, giving UH the 6-4 advantage. The umpires then called the game due to rain at the end of UH's half of the inning.

 

Garcia tripled in the top of the third in the resumption on Saturday. He then scored on a ground out by Morford, pushing UH's lead to 7-4.

 

But the Wolf Pack came back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third, then adding another in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead 8-7. Nevada looked to add to the lead, hitting a fly ball to right with one out and a runner on third. But Roquemore made the catch and threw home to get the Pack runner at the plate, completing the double play to keep UH within a run.

 

Roquemore then scored in the top of the fifth, coming around on a Nevada error after Morford got an infield single to third, tying the score at 8-8.

 

The 'Bows got it going again in the top of the seventh. After back-to-back doubles by Montplaisir and Roquemore, Garcia and Morford drove in runs on the next two at bats, putting Hawai`i ahead 10-8. Catricala would then drive in Garcia with a RBI-double before Wong capped the scoring on the inning, driving in Catricala to push UH's lead to 12-8.

 

The Rainbows had a great opportunity to add to their lead in the top of the eighth, loading the bases with just one out, but a strikeout and pop up retired UH, leaving the bases loaded. And Nevada made them pay in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs to pull it back to 12-11.

 

Wong added to the lead with a solo home run to centerfield in the top of the ninth, getting it to 13-11. And Slaats was able to close it out in the bottom of the ninth, getting a strikeout before a double play ended the game.

 

In the second game, a five-run sixth inning led Nevada to a 10-5 victory over the 'Bows. Nate Klein (0-2) took the loss for UH while Derek Achelpohl (3-3) picked up the win for Nevada.

 

Montplaisir was 2-for-4 with a double, a homer and two runs while Wong went 2-for-4 with one RBI and a double. Landon Hernandez hit a solo home run while Van Doornum and Josh Chevalier both drove in a run.

 

The Wolf Pack opened the scoring in the second game, putting a two-spot on the board in the bottom of the first. Montplaisir responded in the top of the second, hitting a solo home run to left, cutting it back to 2-1.

 

UN then added to the lead in the bottom of the third, scoring two more to get the Wolf Pack edge to 4-1. Hernandez then hit a solo homer to left in the top of the fourth, cutting the lead in half at 4-2.

 

Nevada would put up another run in the bottom of the fifth and had a great opportunity to add on. But Alexander induced a double play with the bases loaded, keeping UH within three at 5-2.

 

Wong hit a RBI-double in the top of the sixth to pull the Rainbows back within two at 5-3. But the Pack kept coming, scoring five more in the bottom of the sixth, extending the lead to 10-3.

 

UH scored two runs in the top of the ninth, but couldn't pull any closer, falling by the final score of 10-5.

 

The Rainbows will return home to host Sacramento State for a four-game WAC series from Apr. 17-19.

 

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