Rainbows get bitten twice

FRESNO, Calif. » There are few worse feelings than standing on the field helplessly while the other team scores the winning run.

Hawaii    Fresno 5-3 6-4 Next Up vs. Louisiana Tech on Friday

Imagine it twice in the space of a few hours.

Hawaii experienced double depression yesterday; Fresno State rallied in the ninth inning to win both ends of a twinbill at Beiden Field, 6-5 and 4-3.

"It's disappointing for sure to get left on the field anytime. Twice in a day, it's a bad day," UH coach Mike Trapasso said.

The Rainbows (25-15) were scheduled to return home today after going 3-4 on a two-week road trip.

UH clawed back from a 5-0 deficit after seven innings and tied the first game in the top of the ninth -- only to lose it after getting the first two Bulldogs out in the bottom half.

Then Hawaii blew a 3-1 lead by allowing single runs in the final three innings of the second game.

"The road trip overall was disappointing, but the positive, as funny as it sounds, is this weekend," Trapasso said. "We played hard throughout the series and with toughness. We were better this weekend than we were last week. We just didn't get it done."

Doubles by Kris Sanchez and Jon Hee highlighted a four-run seventh in the first game. UH then tied it at 5 with pinch hitter Derek DuPree's two-out, ninth-inning single scoring pinch runner Kevin Fujii.

It looked to be headed for extra innings when Jayson Kramer ran his hitless streak to 3 1/3 innings by retiring the first two Fresno State batters. But consecutive singles by Todd Sandell, Eric Wetzel and Loren Storey gave the Bulldogs the win and Kramer fell to 3-2.

In the second game, Brandon Haislet staked the Rainbows to a 3-1 lead with a two-run homer in the fifth, and UH starter Ian Harrington pitched well, allowing two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. But Storey's solo homer off Matt Daly in the eighth tied it, and Sandell's single to left off Tyler Davis (5-1) in the ninth gave FSU the win.

Clayton Allison -- who started for the Bulldogs on Friday when Hawaii won 9-8 -- struck out five Rainbows in three innings of two-hit relief for the win. He improved to 7-3.

Three of FSU's runs were set up by sacrifice bunts.

"They got it done and they got the hits," Trapasso said. "Ian was good, as good as he's been in a while. I wish we could've held the lead for him."

Hee went 6-for-13 in the series. Sanchez was 4-for-11 with a homer.

Despite the twin setbacks, the Rainbows can get themselves back into contention for the Western Athletic Conference top spot a week from now. They are 6-6 in the WAC and play a three-game series against Louisiana Tech (29-14, 9-3) at Les Murakami Stadium.

It is the second-to-last home series for the Rainbows this season. After 10 consecutive road games after the LaTech series, they host Fresno State for three games, May 19-21, to conclude the regular season.