FRESNO, Calif. – The University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (27-11, 9-11 WAC) fell to the Fresno State Bulldogs (23-25, 7-10) in the series-opener at Pete Beiden Field Thursday. Jesse Moore (0-1) took the loss while Matt Morse (2-2) got the win for Fresno State.

 

Sean Montplaisir went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double while Vinnie Catricala was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Kolten Wong also homered, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, while Matt Roquemore was 2-for-3 with one double, one run and one RBI. Greg Garcia and Kevin Macdonald also had two-hit games while Ryan Morford added two RBI.

 

The Rainbows jumped out early as Macdonald drove in a run in the top of the first. Fresno State responded in the bottom of the first with two runs, getting the Bulldogs a 2-1 edge.

 

UH retook the lead in the top of the second as Morford hit a sacrifice fly before Catricala added a two-run single, giving Hawai`i the 4-2 lead. But the Bulldogs again had the answer, posting two runs in the bottom of the second to regain the lead at 5-4.

 

The 'Bows grabbed the lead again in the top of the fourth, scoring two to go ahead 6-5. But that was when the Bulldogs got hot, posting a huge eight-run bottom of the fourth, making it 13-6.

 

Wong hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth, starting a three-run inning. But it wasn't enough as Fresno State ran away with the 17-9 victory.

 

The two teams continue the series tomorrow at 6 p.m. (3 p.m. HST).