Box score

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i baseball team defeated Valparaiso on Friday, 9-8. The Rainbows improved to 22-16 while Valpo dropped to 16-22. 

Breland Almadova led the 'Bows with two hits, three runs, and one RBI, and belted his first homerun of the season, a solo shot over the centerfield wall. Michael Blake posted two hits, one run, and one RBI, and Kolten Wong added one hit, one run, and a game-high three RBI. 

Will Hagel led Valpo batting 3-5 with one run and two RBI. In the second inning, he delivered a two-RBI base hit to help the Crusaders take a 3-2 lead. Hawai'i recaptured the lead in the fifth inning, as Wong's two-RBI base hit highlighted a five-run inning. The Rainbows led 9-5 and would hold on for the win. 

Jarrett Arakawa improved to 5-2 with the win. He pitched five and two-thirds innings allowing four earned runs and recording four strikeouts. Tyler Deetjen (3-6) allowed three earned runs in five innings for the loss. 

Jeff Van Doornum added one hit and two RBI. Lenny Linsky came on for a two-inning save, his eighth of the season. 

There were 3,451 tickets sold for the contest, and a turnstile count of 2,325. 

The Rainbows and Crusaders conclude their series Saturday night. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.