Sanchez ties, then wins game for ’Bows

SACRAMENTO, Calif. » Kris Sanchez is proving that his early-season hot streak was no fluke.

Hawaii    Sacramento State 12 9 Next Up at Sacramento State, today

The senior's ninth-inning homer yesterday got Hawaii into extra innings, and his double in the 10th keyed a four-run rally that gave UH a 12-9 win at Sacramento State.

The Rainbows' third win in a row -- and second to start their seven-game road trip -- moved them to 5-3 in the Western Athletic Conference, 24-11 overall.

The Hornets fell to 4-7 and 9-22.

UH pounded out 20 hits, and scored in seven innings. Hawaii had a season-high three homers, as Brandon Haislet added his second and freshman Vinnie Catricala hit his first.

Haislet went 4-for-5 and also had a double. The Sacramento resident is 6-for-10 in the two games at Hornet Field.

"I was very proud of our offense," Rainbows coach Mike Trapasso said. "We didn't pitch well and probably should've been charged with six or seven errors. But it was a good win for us. We kept battling and fought our way through."

Gabe Jacobo and Montana Dye clouted homers for the Hornets, who scored in eight innings and came back to tie or take the lead four times after UH led 3-2 after three innings.

Sanchez -- who was batting .636 after the Rainbows' first six games -- has pulled himself out of a mild slump and raised his batting average to .402 after going 3-for-5 yesterday. He is 11-for-21 during his current six-game hitting streak.

"I try to stay pretty level-headed. I knew I was never going to hit .700 for a year," said Sanchez, after he whacked his sixth homer and drove in four runs. "I just tried to keep going, keep swinging, working in the cage. Right now I'm seeing the ball pretty well again."

Tyler Davis (5-0) allowed one earned run in the last four innings for the win.

UH starter Mark Rodrigues struggled through five innings, allowing single runs in every frame from the second through fifth.

"Mark just didn't have anything," Trapasso said. "He was between 78 and 83 (mph) in velocity. "There was nothing wrong with his elbow -- he just didn't throw well."

Craig Johnson relieved Rodrigues and allowed a solo homer to Jacobo in the sixth and scratch singles to Travis Kirkman and Tim Wheeler to start the seventh that ended up as runs after he was changed for Davis.

"(Johnson) got sabotaged by our defense," Trapasso said. "Justin's (third baseman Frash) throw pulls Sanchez off (first) and (Derek) DuPree loses a ball he should catch in left."

The Hornets were ahead 7-6 going into the ninth, but Haislet led off with a single and Sanchez crushed a 2-0 fastball from Mitch Lively for an 8-7 UH lead.

Wheeler, who went 4-for-4, started the Sacramento State half of the ninth with a single. He eventually scored to tie it when Jeff Hannah beat out a potential double play. Davis picked off Hannah to send it to the 10th.

Jorge Franco led off with a double, Haislet walked with one out, and Franco scored on Sanchez's double down the right-field line off Roosevelt graduate Chris Mols. The rally continued with Matt Roquemore's two-run double off Mols and Eli Christensen's RBI single off Billy Sinacori.

Ryan Blair doubled in the bottom of the 10th and scored on Frash's throwing error, but Davis struck out Kirkman to end it.

Hornets starter Trevor York allowed 12 hits and six runs in 5-plus innings.

Josh Schneider (3-1, 1.91) pitches for UH today against Mick Joyce (1-3, 6.54) in the final game of the series.

Trapasso is hoping for something similar to Schneider's five-hit shutout last Sunday against San Jose State, since relief aces Davis and Matt Daly are unavailable today.