HONOLULU -- Schafer Magana''s RBI double in the eighth inning completed a two-run rally as Hawai''i earned the series split with a 5-4 win over the Sacramento State baseball team, Wednesday evening at Les Murakami Stadium.The Hornets fell to 20-20 on the year while the Rainbows improved to 20-12.
Sacramento State took a 2-0 lead in the third inning after a two-run triple by sophomore Brian Blauser. With one out, juniors Ronnie Machado, Jr., and Craig Johnson drew walks from Rainbow starter Steven Wright. In the next at-bat, Blauser hit a towering drive off the center-field wall to clear the bases. For Blauser, a native of Elk Grove, Calif., it was his first career triple.
Hawai''i answered back with two runs in the bottom of the third after an RBI single by Brian Finegan and a sacrifice fly by Matt Inouye.
The Hornets recaptured the lead with two runs in the sixth. Blauser was hit by Wright to lead off the inning before senior Jack Arroyo followed with a single to left. After Ricky Bauer enter in relief for the Rainbows, junior Andy Hnilo advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt to third. In the next at-bat, junior Bret LeVier was intentionally walked on a 3-0 count to load the bases. Junior Pedro Santiago followed with single to left field to score Blauser from third. With the bases still loaded, junior Buddy Morales drove in the Hornets'' second run with a fielder''s choice to short.
The Rainbows cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth when Issac Omura drove in Creighton Kahoali''i from second with a single to right field.
Hawai''i took its first lead in the contest with two runs in the eighth with a pair of RBI doubles by Andrew Sansaver and Magana.
Bauer (6-2) earned the win after allowing no runs on one hit while walking one and striking out three in four innings of relief.
Junior Warren Rosebrock (4-5) was tagged with the loss after giving up five runs on 10 hits while walking one and striking out seven in 7.1 innings.
The Hornets will next face Hawai''i-Hilo for a five game set this weekend. The opener will be a doubleheader on Friday, April 9 (5 p.m. PST) at F. K. Wong Stadium in Hilo. The series will shift to Simmons'' Field at Kailua-Kona with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 10 (2 p.m. PST) before the finale on Sunday, April 11, at 5 p.m PST.
