MESA, Ariz. – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow baseball team (32-25) advanced to the Western Athletic Conference Tournament's championship round with a win over the Fresno State Bulldogs (36-24) 11-3 at Hohokam Stadium Friday. Matt Sisto (5-5) pitched a gem, allowing just two runs in 7.0 innings to get the win. Josh Poytress (6-6) took the loss for the Bulldogs.

 

Kolten Wong continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, a home run and two walks. Kevin Macdonald went 3-for-4 with four RBI, a run and a double. Collin Bennett went 3-for-5 with two runs and two doubles with Greg Garcia going 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run. David Freitas homered in a 2-for-5 game with two runs while Jeffrey Van Doornum and Pi'ikea Kitamura both added two-hit games.

 

Hawai'i got the offense started in the bottom of the first inning, as Van Doornum drove in Wong. UH looked to build on that lead later in the inning, but left the bases loaded to keep it at just 1-0.

 

But Wong extended the lead in the bottom of the second, going deep to right for a two-run homer, extending the Rainbow lead to 3-0.

 

Freitas then went yard to left, blasting a solo shot off the scoreboard to make it 4-0. The Bulldogs threatened in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with one out. But Sisto got Garrett Weber to ground into an inning-ending double play, keeping the 'Dawgs off the scoreboard.

 

The 'Bows added another run in the bottom of the fourth as Wong hit a sacrifice fly, making it 5-0.

 

Hawai'i then put up a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a three-run double by Macdonald, pushing the lead to 9-0.

 

Fresno State put up their first runs of the game as WAC Player of the Year Jordan Ribera hit a two-run blast to right, cutting it back to 9-2. Garcia then drove in another run in the bottom of the sixth, getting it to 10-2.

 

Macdonald drove in Bennett in the bottom of the eighth, making it 11-2.

The Bulldogs scored a run in the top of the ninth before UH turned its fourth double play of the game, ending it at 11-3.

 

The Rainbows will now play tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. HST) against the winner of San Jose State and Fresno State, who will play at 4 p.m. (1 p.m. HST). UH could win the WAC Tournament title with a win in that game, or by beating that same team in a winner-take-all game on Sunday, May 30.

 

-UH-