BASEBALL ELIMINATED BY HAWAI'I AT WAC TOURNAMENT

5/25/2007

RENO, Nev. — Brett Tanigawa recorded a career best four hits and Sacramento State had 17 as a team but it was not enough as the Hornets were eliminated by Hawai’i, 19-7, in the second day of the Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament on Friday at Peccole Park.

Sacramento State fell behind, 1-0, in the first inning and then saw the Rainbows score nine runs in the second to fall behind, 10-0. In the second, Hawai’i took advantage of seven hits, one Hornet error, and a walk to score its nine runs. That damage limited starter Alvaro Orozco to just 1.1 innings of work before being replaced by senior Cyrus Sarraf.

The Hornets scored their first two runs in the bottom of the second when Tanigawa singled up the middle to score Montana Dye and Patrick Cummins hit a sacrifice fly to right to plate Wes Oberlin.

Hawai’i made the score 14-2 in the top of the third with four more runs before Sacramento State got one run back on consecutive doubles from Blake Crosby and David Flores. After two more Rainbow runs in the top of the fourth, Sacramento State scored two in the bottom of the inning on a groundout from Cummins and a single by Crosby.

Senior reliever Billy Sinacori posted a pair of scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth and the Hornets were able to get one run back on a groundout by Wheeler in the fifth.

Sinacori stayed on to pitch the seventh but Landon Hernandez hit a three-run home run to make the score, 19-6, in the top of the seventh. The Hornets pulled closer in the seventh when a balk was called to score a run. Before the balk, Cummins nearly made the score, 19-9, but his blast down the left field line was ruled foul.

Due to the fact that the Hornets trailed by 12 after seven innings, the game was stopped due to the tournament’s 10-run rule after seven innings.

Sacramento State ended its season with a 17-40 overall record while the Rainbows improved to 34-24.

Tanigawa was 4-for-4, marking his first time during his career he has had more than two hits. Blair added three hits while Crosby, Flores, Jacobo, and Oberlin each had two hits.

Reliever Cameron Wheeler (1-0) earned the win after pitching the final 3.2 innings and allowing two earned runs. Orozco dropped to 5-6 with the loss.

Hawai’i ended with 20 hits and was led by three apiece from Jonathan Hee, Eli Christiensen, Kevin Macdonald and Vinnie Catricala.