FRESNO, Calif. – Despite four home runs in the game, the University of Hawai`i Rainbow baseball team (27-22, 9-12 WAC) fell to the Fresno State Bulldogs (24-25, 8-10) at Pete Beiden Field Friday. Sam Spangler (5-2) took the loss for the 'Bows. Josh Poytress (2-2) got the win while Holden Sprague picked up the save for Fresno State.

 

Vinnie Catricala went 3-for-5 with a home run and a double while Kevin Fujii was 3-for-5 with three RBI and a double. Sean Montplaisir added a 3-for-5 game with a double, a RBI and two runs. Kolten Wong, Christian Johnson and Kevin Macdonald also homered in the game, bringing UH's team total for the season to 55, just three short of the record of 58, set in 1983.

 

Hawai`i jumped out to an early lead as Johnson hit a two-run homer in the top of the second. Morford later added a RBI-single in the inning, giving UH a 3-0 edge.

 

The Rainbows then added four runs in the top of the third as Wong hit his 10th home run of the season before Fujii added a three-run double, getting the Hawai`i 7-0 lead.

 

But Fresno State answered in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs on three home runs to cut it to 7-5.

 

Montplaisir drove in a run for the 'Bows in the top of the fourth, before the Bulldogs responded with two more in the bottom of the fifth, cutting it to 8-7.

 

Catricala homered in the top of the sixth, extending UH's lead to 9-7. Fresno State had the answer, putting up four runs in the bottom of the inning to take their first lead at 11-9.

 

Macdonald hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth to tie the score at 11-11. But the Bulldogs again came up with the answer in the bottom of the inning. Gavin Hedstrom hit a double with the bases loaded to score two runs before the Bulldogs scored a final insurance run on a wild pitch, making the final 14-11.

 

The series concludes with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. (10 a.m. HST).