MESA, Ariz. - The University of Hawaii baseball team opened the Western Athletic Conference tournament with an 8-2 loss to Fresno State on Wednesday, falling into the losers bracket of the double-elimination event.
Collin Bennett had three hits, including an RBI triple in the first inning, to lead the fourth-seeded Rainbows (30-24). Max Duval, Piikea Kitamura and Zack Swasey each had two hits. Swasey drove in a run with a single in the seventh.
The Bulldogs (26-25) took a 2-1 lead with runs in the fourth and fifth innings before breaking the game open with a six-run sixth inning.
UH starter Jarrett Ara-kawa (7-6) gave up four runs on eight hits over five-plus innings. Thomas Harland (7-7) lasted 6 1/3 innings, scattering eight hits for No. 5 Fresno State.
Patrick Hutcheson homered and doubled, and Aaron Judge batted 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a triple for the Bulldogs.
The Rainbows play No. 6 Louisiana Tech today in an elimination game set for 8 a.m. HST. Louisiana Tech lost to No. 3 Nevada 4-3 on Wednesday.
