HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow baseball team (4-4) split a doubleheader with the No. 25 Oregon Ducks (3-4), 5-2 and 0-3, in front of a crowd of 2,805 at Les Murakami Stadium Sunday.

 

Alex Capaul (2-0) came on in relief to get the win in the first game, allowing one run in 4.0 innings. Ryan Fleckenstein (0-1) took the loss for the Ducks while Lenny Linsky picked up his third save of the weekend.

 

Greg Garcia had a huge game for UH, going 3-for-5 with one RBI, one run and two stolen bases. Collin Bennett added a 3-for-4 game with one RBI and a double while Kolten Wong went 3-for-4 with a run. David Freitas was 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI.

 

Garcia got the Rainbows on the board first, hitting his second-straight double before coming around to score on a balk in the bottom of the third, giving UH the 1-0 edge.

 

Oregon responded with a run in the top of the fourth to tie the score at 1-1.

 

Freitas then untied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot to left, going over both walls and across the street, before bouncing onto the UH soccer field, pushing Hawai'i ahead 2-1.

 

But the Ducks again had the answer, scoring a run in the top of the seventh, tying the score at 2-2.

 

Hawai'i then broke through in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs, driven in by Garcia, Bennett and Freitas, pushing the Rainbows out to a 5-2 lead.

 

Oregon looked to get a ninth-inning rally going, putting two runners on with one out. But Linsky came in and closed it out by retiring the final two batters.

 

Sam Spangler (0-2) took the loss in the second game, allowing three runs in 3.2 innings, striking out four. Zack Thornton (1-0) got the win while Drew Gagnier picked up the save for the Ducks.

 

Bennett continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-3 with a double, but was the only Rainbow to post hits in the game.

 

Spangler worked his way out of a couple of jams early on, inducing a pop up with two on in the second and getting a strikeout with the bases loaded in the third, keeping the game scoreless.

 

But the Ducks got to Spangler in the fourth. The junior walked in a run before getting taken out of the game. UH then gave up two more in the inning on a hit batter and a wild pitch, giving UO the 3-0 edge.

 

That would be enough for Thornton and Gagnier, who allowed just two hits and two walks, while combining for nine strikeouts.

 

The Rainbows next host The Citadel for a four-game series starting Thursday, March 4, at 6:35 p.m. There will be a 3:35 p.m. doubleheader on March 5, before the finale goes at 12:05 p.m. on March 6.

 

-UH-