HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow baseball team (23-22, 6-10 WAC) dropped the series finale to the Nevada Wolf Pack (24-17-1, 5-6-1) 8-7 in 12 innings in front of a crowd of 2,459 at Les Murakami Stadium Sunday. Zach Gallagher (3-4) took the loss, allowing a run in three innings of relief. Tyler Graham (3-4) got the win for the Pack.

 

Greg Garcia led the way for UH, going 4-for-6 with two RBI, a run and a triple. David Freitas was 2-for-4 with three runs, two doubles and one RBI while Collin Bennett was 2-for-5 with one RBI, one run and one stolen base.

 

The Pack opened the scoring early, putting up a run in the top of the first before Carlos Escobar hit a solo homer in the second to put UN ahead 2-0.

 

Hawai'i tied in the bottom of the second as Garcia tripled in a run to deep center before scoring on a single by Bennett. But the Pack came right back with an unearned run in the top of the third, giving them back the 3-2 edge.

 

UH tied it in the fourth as Freitas scored on a wild pitch, only to see back-to-back doubles by the Wolf Pack give UN back the lead. Jeffrey Van Doornum then smacked a RBI-double to right in the bottom of the fifth inning, again tying the game at 4-4.

 

Nevada put up a two-run inning in the top of the sixth to gain a two-run advantage. Kevin Macdonald helped the 'Bows cut back into it, driving in a run in the bottom of the sixth.

 

The Rainbows then took the lead in seventh inning as Freitas hit a RBI-double before coming around to score on a single by Garcia, making it 7-6.

 

That was how it stayed until the top of the ninth as Garrett Yrigoyen hit a RBI-single to left, tying the game at 7-7.

 

Both teams had chances in the 10th and 11th innings, with two double plays erasing Nevada rallies and the Rainbows stranding two runners each. The Pack then broke through in the top of the 12th as Shaun Kort drove in Yrigoyen on a single to left. Nick Melino looked to extend the lead even further, hitting a long fly ball to the right-center gap. But Matt Roquemore made a great catch, right before crashing into the wall, keeping it a one-run ball game.

 

In the bottom of the 12th, Bennett led off with a single up the middle. But Nevada came up clutch, turning a huge double play to clear the bases before Graham got the final out to give the Wolf Pack the 8-7 victory.

 

The Rainbows have a week off before returning to Les Murakami Stadium to host WAC-leading New Mexico State on May 13, 14 and 16.

 

-UH-