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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, May 24, 2010

'Bows finish off SJSU in 11th, 17-14



Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Sean Montplaisir

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Hawai'i needed extra runs in extra innings to hold off San Jose State in a wild finish to end the Western Athletic Conference regular season.

The Rainbows sent 12 batters to the plate in a six-run 11th, only to give half the runs back in the bottom of the frame to beat the Spartans, 17-14, yesterday at Municipal Stadium in San Jose, Calif.

Hawai'i (29-25 overall, 12-12 WAC) finished fourth, a game ahead of fifth-place Louisiana Tech (11-13). The fourth and fifth seeds play at 1 p.m., Hawai'i time, Wednesday in the opener of the WAC tournament in Mesa, Ariz.

Regular-season champion Fresno State (16-8) and second-place New Mexico State (14-9-1) draw byes in the first round.

In the other tournament opener, third seed Nevada (14-9-1) will play sixth seed San Jose State (9-15) Wednesday.

(New Mexico State won its series against Nevada, 2-1-1 for the head-to-head tiebreaker.)

Hawai'i could not hold an 11-9 lead in the bottom of the ninth, when SJSU tied it on a two-run home run by Zach Jones.

But the Rainbows exploded against Craig Broussard (1-2) for six runs in the 11th. The inning opened with a double by Sean Montplaisir that was later followed with an RBI single by Jeffrey Van Doornum, two-run single by David Freitas, sacrifice fly by Greg Garcia, RBI single by Collin Bennett and a bases-loaded walk by Matt Roquemore.

Harrison Kuroda (1-1), entering his second inning of relief, gave up a three-run home run to Danny Stienstra in the bottom of the 11th before getting the final outs to end the game.

The Rainbows appeared to have the game under control early with starter Connor Little pitching five innings, allowing two runs, before giving way to Blair Walters with an 8-2 lead.

But Walters gave up four runs in one inning of work and Zach Gallagher gave up two in two-thirds of an inning. At one juncture, UH took a 9-4 lead into the bottom of the seventh, only to see the Spartans put up five to tie the game at 9.

Kolten Wong's two-run double in the top of the ninth gave UH an 11-9 lead, but Alex Capaul gave up the two-run homer to Jones that forced UH into its fourth extra-inning game of the season.

Freitas went 3 for 5 with five RBI, Wong was 3 for 6 with four RBI and Van Doornum was 3 for 5 with three RBI.

Montplaisir went 4 for 7 to lead UH's 22-hit attack.

Stienstra paced SJSU's 20-hit output by batting 3 for 5 with four RBI. Jones was 3 for 6 with two RBI. Tim Quiery went 3 for 7.

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