Hawai'i Claims Series Finale With Diamond Dogs By Posting 11-5 Win

Sunday, March 8

Honolulu, Hawaii

6:05 PM

Mississippi State

8-4

Hawai'i

5-6

Mississippi State

Hawaii

State Drops 5-2 Decision To No. 10 UCLA In Whataburger Classic

Hawai'i Claims Series Finale With Diamond Dogs By Posting 11-5 Win

March 08, 2009 | Baseball

Box Score

By: hailstate.com

? Official Statistics
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HONOLULU, Hawaii - Hawaii struck for seven runs over the first three innings and thwarted a pair of middle inning MSU threats to post a series-clinching 11-5 college baseball win over Mississippi State Sunday afternoon at Les Murakami Stadium. Mississippi State (8-4), playing its first road games of the 2009 campaign, claimed the series-opener before dropping the final three games of the series to Hawaii (6-6).

State out-hit Hawaii 13-12, but the Rainbows drew six walks and plated three unearned runs thanks to a season-high four Bulldog errors. The first three Rainbows reached safely in each of the first three innings, with UH plating a run off MSU starter Chad Crosswhite in the first frame, adding three more in the second and stretching the lead to 7-0 with a three-burst in the third.

State broke scoring ice off UH starter Matt Sisto when Luke Adkins and Connor Powers opened the fourth inning with doubles. After loading the bases, Sisto avoided further damage when he fanned Ryan Powers. Ryan Collins opened the fifth with a triple and scored the first of three Bulldog runs in an inning that saw State send nine batters to the plate to face three different UH pitchers. Relief pitcher Josh Slaats came out of the bullpen to douse the Bulldog uprising. With the bases loaded, Slaats (1-1) sandwiched strikeouts around a walk as State closed the gap to 7-4.

But Hawaii scored the next three innings, plating single tallies in the fifth and sixth frames and closing its scoring in the seventh with a two-run, two-out home run by Kolten Wong.

State wrapped up its scoring for the game and the series in the eighth inning. Jason Nappi opened the inning with a single and later raced home went Brent Brownlee singled to center field.

Slaats gave up a run and three hits with five strikeouts over the final 4-2/3 innings to claim the win. MSU starter Chad Crosswhite (0-1), is his first start fot he season, took the loss, yielding seven runs (five earned) on seven hits before being lifted three batters into the third inning. Greg Houston worked a scoreless inning of relief while Ricky Bowen allowed two runs on a hit and four walks over 2-1/3 innings and freshman Caleb Reed pitched the final 2-2/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits.

Greg Garcia paced Hawaii with three hits in four at-bats while Vinnie Catricala and Shane Hoey had two hits each. Jet Butler led State with three hits in five trips to the plate. Jarrod Parks also collected two hits for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs hit .248 in the four-game Hawaii series, with outfielder Luke Adkins leading the way with six hits in 13 at-bats (.462). Adkins laced a pair of doubles and a grand slam home run. Ryan Duffy went 4-for-12 with a home run and a team-best five RBI in the series.

Mississippi State returns to action at Dudy Noble Field this week, hosting Valparaiso (4-6) in a day/night doubleheader Wednesday before launching SEC competition in Starkville with a three-game series against South Carolina (8-1).