MESA, Ariz. – Kolten Wong hit a game-tying homer in the eighth and a walk-off homer in the 10th to lead the University of Hawai'i Rainbow baseball team (30-25) over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (27-29) 8-7 in 10 innings in the first game of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament at Hohokam Stadium Wednesday. Lenny Linsky (3-0) got the win, allowing one earned run in 2.2 innings while Will Alvis (1-3) took the loss for Tech.

 

Wong ended the game 2-for-6 with the two homers and four RBI. Greg Garcia added a 2-for-4 game with two runs and a triple while Sean Montplaisir went 2-for-4 with two RBI, a run and two doubles. Matt Roquemore was 1-for-5 with two RBI and two runs with Pi'ikea Kitamura and Collin Bennett both added two-hit games. Josh Slaats pitched well for 5.2 innings, allowing only three unearned runs with six strikeouts in the no-decision.

 

Montplaisir put UH on the scoreboard first, driving in a RBI-double to score Garcia in the bottom of the second. Louisiana Tech looked to tie it in the top of the third as Clint Stubbs led off the inning with a triple to the left-center gap. But Matt Roquemore kept the Bulldogs scoreless, throwing a strike to the plate on a sacrifice fly attempt, recording the double play to keep the Hawai'i edge at 1-0.

 

Roquemore later helped at the plate as well, adding a RBI-single in the bottom of the fourth, extending UH's lead to 2-0.

 

Louisiana Tech got to the 'Bows in the top of the sixth, scoring three unearned runs, aided by two defensive miscues, putting the Bulldogs ahead 3-2.

 

LTU added three more runs, with two unearned, in the top of the eighth to get it to 6-2.

 

But Hawai'i answered in the bottom of the inning. After a lead-off triple by Garcia, Montplaisir hit a double down the right line, driving in a run. Roquemore later drove Montplaisir in before Wong came up with the big blast, hitting a two-run homer to right to tie the score at 6-6.

 

After a scoreless ninth inning, the Bulldogs put up a run in the top of the 10th, making it 7-6. But Wong then came up big again, hitting the 1-1 pitch deep to rightfield, going into the Rainbow bullpen to give UH the 8-7 victory.

 

Hawai'i advances and will play in the winner's bracket tomorrow, facing second-seeded New Mexico State at 4:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. HST). San Jose State, who defeated Nevada 6-0 in the night game, will then play Fresno State at 7:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. HST). Nevada and Louisiana Tech will play in an elimination game at 11:00 a.m. (8 a.m. HST).

 

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