HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i baseball team won the first-ever matchup 11-10 against Rutgers Friday Night at Les Murakami Stadium.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (5-8) picked up their first Friday night victory of the season in a game that came down to the Scarlet Knights final batter. Rutgers (10-2) had their seven-game win streak snapped and picked up their second loss of the season after a back and forth battle.
 
It was clean baseball until the bottom of the third when freshman shortstop Jordan Donahue reached base on a single, stole second and third base to get into scoring position. Junior catcher Dallas Duarte was hit-by-pitch and stole second during the next at-bat. With one out and runners in scoring position, junior right fielder Matt Wong roped a single to score the game's first two runs.
 
Rutgers fired back with a run in the top of the fourth, after a double drove in a runner who reached on an error.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the 'Bows broke the game open as sophomore third basemen Aaron Ujimori piped a double to get things started. A few batters later, with the bases juiced, Donahue singled, driving in two runs. The Warriors did not stop there. Junior left fielder Scotty Scott laid down a sacrifice bunt to score the inning's fourth run. The last run UH pushed across came on a sacrifice fly from graduate center fielder Cole Cabrera.
 
The Scarlet Knights rode the same wave of momentum as they strung together some hits, including two textbook hits and runs that scored two of their four in the inning. Rutgers final run of the inning came on a wild pitch closing the gap to 7-5.
 
The 'Bows went scoreless for the fifth and sixth inning, while Rutgers got to the UH bullpen in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs on four hits, taking their first lead 9-7.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, UH found some Manoa magic kickstarted by Donahue's third hit of the night. Scott slapped one the other way on a hit and run to advance Donahue to third. Designated hitter Dallas Duarte caught one off the handle, but pushed it far enough to score the first run of the inning. A few batters later, Wong squared one up for a double. With runners on second and third, a passed ball allowed Scott to score, while a Wong took advantage of a throwing error and slid in safe at home, scoring from second. Regaining the lead, UH pushed across a fourth and final run taking an 11-9 lead into the ninth.
 
Rutgers, with two outs and two on, in a two-and-two count, stroked a single through the left side cutting the lead to one. On the first pitch of the next batter, UH got a fly out to end the evening's festivities victorious.
 
Donahue and Wong tied with three hits each, while Wong edged Donahue three to two in the RBI category.
 
Graduate pitcher Andy Archer went four innings, allowing one unearned run while striking out six. Sophomore pitcher Tai Atkins was credited with his first win in a two and one third inning outing, notching four strikeouts and two earned runs. Junior pitcher Dalton Renne made his first save of the year while only needing one pitch to get the job done late in the ninth.
 
The 'Bows are back Saturday with a doubleheader kicking off at 1:05 pm HT. The second game of the doubleheader will be played 30 minutes after the conclusion of the previous game. The first game will be seven innings, while the second will be played nine.