TEMPE, Ariz. – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow baseball team (35-28) ended their season, falling to the No. 1 Arizona State Sun Devils (50-8) 8-4 in the championship round of the NCAA Tempe Regional at Packard Stadium Sunday. Connor Little (2-3) took the loss for the 'Bows while Jake Borup (11-1) got the win for ASU.

 

Sean Montplaisir homered, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, while Pi'ikea Kitamura went 2-for-3 with a RBI, a stolen base and a double. Kolten Wong was 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs while Collin Bennett went 1-for-4 with a run.

 

Wong got the Rainbow offense started early with a lead-off single. He then stole second and third base before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Freitas, giving UH the 1-0 edge. But ASU answered in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs after a critical UH error.

 

Kitamura answered for Hawai'i with a RBI-double down the left line, tying the game at 2-2. Kole Calhoun hit a long homer for the Sun Devils to put them ahead 3-2 after three innings.

 

But Montplaisir came up with a home run of his own, a two-run shot to right, giving the 'Bows the 4-3 edge. Drew Maggi then came with a two-run double down the left line in the bottom of the inning, giving ASU back the lead 5-4.

 

Deven Marero hit a two-run homer for the Sun Devils in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead to 7-4. ASU added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 8-4.

Wong, David Freitas and Jeffrey Van Doornum were all named to the NCAA Regional all-tournament team.

 

The Rainbows end their season at the championship round of the NCAA Regional for the second time in the last five years.

The game also ends the collegiate careers of senior Josh Chevalier, Kevin Fujii, Christian Johnson, Nate Klein, Harrison Kuroda, Kevin Macdonald and Matt Roquemore.

 

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