TEMPE, Ariz. – The University of Hawai'i Rainbow baseball team (34-27) fell to the No. 1 Arizona State Sun Devils (49-8) 12-1 in the NCAA Tempe Regional at Packard Stadium at Jim Brock Ballpark Saturday. Josh Slaats (5-4) took the loss for UH while Seth Blair (12-0) got the win for ASU.

 

Jeffrey Van Doonum homered, going 1-for-3 on the game. Collin Bennett had a hit and a walk while Christian Johnson and Josh Chevalier both got pinch-hit singles.

 

The Sun Devils jumped on Slaats in the top of the first, scoring four runs on three hits. Zack MacPhee then hit a two-run home run in the top of the second to extend the ASU lead out to 6-0.

 

Raoul Torrez hit a solo homer in the top of the third to extend the Sun Devil lead to 7-0.

 

ASU would put up two more in the top of the seventh, with one coming on a long solo homer by Kole Calhoun, getting the lead up to 9-0.

 

Van Doornum came up with a solo blast to centerfield in the bottom of the seventh to cut it back to 9-1. The Sun Devils would answer with a run in the top of the eighth to make it 10-1.

 

Deven Marrero later hit a two-run homer to left in the top of the ninth, getting it to 12-1.

 

The Rainbows will now play No. 19 San Diego in the first game of the day tomorrow at 1 p.m. (10 a.m. HST). The winner will then face the Sun Devils at 6 p.m. (3 p.m. HST) in the regional championship.

 

-UH-