HONOLULU — In a game marred with rain and power delays, the Sacramento State baseball team eventually dropped a 3-2 contest to Hawai`i, Friday evening at Les Murakami Stadium. The Hornets fell to 5-2 on the season while the Rainbows raised their record to 4-1. After a two hour and 20 minute rain delay, the game was set back an additional 20 minutes due to a power outage in the first inning.The Hornets got on the board first in the top of the second when sophomore Bret LeVier scored on an RBI single by sophomore Matt Wilson. LeVier reached base on a base hit to left field and then stole second to put himself in scoring position.
The Rainbows responded in the bottom half of the inning when Tim Montgomery and Brian Finegan got back-to-back RBI hits to put UH up 2-1. Andrew Sansaver walked to lead off the inning and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brian Bock. After Sansaver stole third, Montgomery doubled down the right field line. Finegan then singled to center to score Montgomery from second.
Sacramento State evened the score in the top of the fourth when sophomore Everet Rincon drove in junior Jesse Schmidt with an RBI single. Schmidt and LeVier led off the inning with consecutive singles. Wilson loaded the bases in the next at-bat when Issac Omura couldn’t handle his sacrifice bunt to second. With no one out, LeVier was double off of second base when freshman Jim Strombach lined out to Omura. Rincon sent Schmidt home with his base hit to right field.
The score stayed tied until Bock hit a home run over the left field fence to give the Rainbows a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Sacramento State’s final opportunity came in the eighth with but the Hornets could not take advantage with runners on first and second with two outs.
Junior Marshall Plouffe took the loss for the Hornets after allowing three runs on five hits in six innings of work. Freshman Joe Guntz pitched two innings of perfect relief to keep the contest close. Guntz, a native of West Hills, Calif., has not allowed a base runner in five innings of work this season. Levier led the Hornet offense with a 2-for-4 effort.
Chris George (2-0) picked up the complete game victory for Hawai`i after giving up just one earned run while striking out eight and walking just one. George gave up just one hit in the final four innings to preserve the victory.
Sacramento State and Hawai’i will square off again on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 7:05 p.m. PST. The final game of the Hornet road trip will be on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 3:05 p.m. PST.
