HONOLULU – The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (24-13, 7-4 WAC) used the long ball to win the series-finale over Sacramento State Hornets (21-17, 2-6) 8-4 in front of a crowd of 2,628 at Les Murakami Stadium Sunday. Jared Alexander (1-1) allowed just two runs in 6.0 innings to get his first win of the season while Tommy Elrod (4-2) took the loss for Sacramento State.

 

Kevin Macdonald led the way, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI. Vinnie Catricala also homered, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Kolten Wong had a 3-for-5 with two doubles. Sean Montplaisir and Jeffrey Van Doornum also doubled.

 

Macdonald got the Rainbows going, hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. Catricala and Macdonald would then hit back-to-back homers in the bottom of the third, extending UH's advantage to 4-0.

 

Tim Wheeler hit a two run home run in the top of the sixth, cutting it back to 4-2. But Montplaisir answered with a RBI-double in bottom half of the inning, getting it back to 5-2.

 

Hawai`i then put it out of reach in the bottom of the eighth, as Ryan Morford and Catricala hit back-to-back RBI-singles after Josh Chevalier scored on a balk, getting it up to 8-2.

 

Wheeler would add another two-run shot in the top of the ninth before UH closed the door, giving the Rainbows the 8-4 victory.

 

The 'Bows next head on the road for a five-game road trip at Arizona State and New Mexico State. UH will play a mid-week game against the fourth-ranked Sun Devils on Tuesday, Apr. 21, before facing NMSU for a four-game series from Apr. 24-26.

 

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