Rainbows fall as CSU Bakersfield rallies in 9th inning
The Hawaii baseball team couldn’t hold on to a ninth-inning lead Sunday and it cost the Rainbows the chance of a series sweep at CSU Bakersfield.
Matt Kurata’s one-out, bases-loaded single to right-center field off Harrison Bodendorf scored Noah Alvarez with the winning run in the ninth as CSU Bakersfield beat Hawaii 3-2.
The Roadrunners tied it earlier in the inning on Jonah Shields’ double just inside the right-field line, which scored Kyler Stancato.
The Rainbows (12-7, 2-1 Big West) manufactured both their runs in the third inning
Ben Zeigler-Namoa reached on a fielding error by the second baseman. Jake Tsukada singled to center and advanced to second on an unsuccessful attempt to throw out Zeigler-Namoa at third. Jordan Donahue’s ground out to second plated Zeigler-Namoa and advanced Tsukada to third, and Elijah Ickes’ sacrifice fly to center scored Tsukada. Both runs were unearned.
Nainoa Cardinez started and went one inning for the Rainbows. Connor Harrison followed with three innings, Tyler Dyball pitched 1 2/3, Itsuki Takemoto worked 2 2/3 and Bodendorf (0-3) didn’t retired any of the four batters he faced.
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The Roadrunners improved to 4-16, 1-2.
Hawaii will return home for a nonconference, three-game series against San Diego State, which starts Friday.