David Del Grande had both of the Hornets' hits on Friday at Hawai'i.
HONOLULU, O'ahu - The Sacramento State baseball team lost its Western Athletic Conference opener with Hawai'i, 16-1, on Friday night at Les Murakami Baseball Stadium.
The Hornets fall to 9-21 (0-1 WAC) on the season while the Rainbows improve to 15-14 (1-0 WAC).
Hawai'i starter Matt Sisto earned the win after allowing one run (none earned) on two hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. Sacramento State starter Karl Maas took the loss after allowing 12 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits in five innings with three strikeouts and three walks.
Sacramento State was done in by a pair of big innings. The Rainbows sent 10 men to the plate in the first inning and scored six times on four hits and then sent 14 batters to the plate in the sixth inning, with nine more runs on eight hits.
The Hornets scored their lone run of the game in the fifth inning. Justin Higley reached on a throwing error by the shortstop to start the inning and moved to second on David Del Grande's single to right. Brent Hottman's fielder's choice in the next at-bat brought Higley home from second after another error, this time by the second baseman.
Del Grande had both of the Hornets' hits. Hawai'i had six players record two-or-more RBIs in the game and nine had at least one hit. Preseason WAC Player of the Year Kolten Wong went 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBIs and one home run.
The conference's 10-run mercy rule ended the game after the top of the seventh inning.
Hawai'i 16, Sacramento State 1 (Apr 08, 2011 at Honolulu, O'ahu)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacramento State.... 000 010 0 - 1 2 2 (9-21, 0-1 WAC)
Hawai'i............. 610 009 X - 16 14 2 (15-14, 1-0 WAC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Sacramento State - Maas, Karl; Greenwood, Hunter(6). Hawai'i - Sisto, Matt.
Win-Sisto, Matt(2-4) Loss-Maas, Karl(2-3) T-2:00 A-3512
HR HAWAII - Wong, Kolten.
Weather: somewhat overcast
