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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 5:56 p.m., Sunday, March 22, 2009

Johnson's homer in 12th lifts 'Bows past Portland for tourney title

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Christian Johnson

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Lenny Linsky

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Christian Johnson's one out, pinch-hit solo home run in the top of the 12th inning lifted Hawai'i over Portland, 9-8, today to give the Rainbows the championship of the inaugural Rose City Invitational at PGE Park in Portland, Ore.

With one out in the ninth, Johnson pinch hit for Matt Roquemore and drilled an 0-2 pitch to right for his second homer of the season off Zach Varce (1-4), who allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings for the Pilots (13-9).

Lenny Linsky (1-0) pitched three scoreless innings of relief for the Rainbows (13-7).

The Rainbows finished the tournament 3-1, while the Pilots ended at 2-2. Washington beat Oregon, 5-1, for third place earlier in the day.

In the bottom of the 12th, Kris Kauppila led off with a single to left and took second on Kevin Armijo's sacrifice. Clayton Shaw pinch hit for Jeff Arbayo and popped out to second. Bryant Kraus popped out to second to strand the tying run on second to end the game.

The Pilots wasted little time picking up where they left off Friday, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Kris Kauppila led off with a single to left. After Kevin Armijo was called out on strikes, Beau Fraser doubled to right-center, moving Kauppila to third. But an error in the outfield allowed Kauppila to score to put Portland ahead, 1-0. Bryant Kraus was hit by a pitch before Chase Powell was called out on strikes. Riley Henricks' RBI single sent Kraus to third. Austin Pearce walked to load the bases. Rocky Gale lined out to second to end the inning.

Landon Hernandez's solo home run with one out cut UH's deficit to 2-1 in the top of the second inning.

Kraus led off the bottom of the third with a homer to left-center to increase Portland's lead to 3-1.

Hawai'i sent nine batters to the plate in a five-run fourth. Vinnie Catricala led off with a single to left and took third on Kevin Macdonald's ground-rule double to left-center. Hernandez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Matt Roquemore grounded out to second to advance the runners to pull UH to 3-2. Jeffrey Van Doornum followed with a two-run single to center to put UH ahead, 4-3. Van Doornum took second on the throw home and later scored on Sean Montplaisir's double to right that made it 5-3 and chase Thompson from the game for Ed Wakefield. Ryan Morford singled to center to score Montplaisir to make it 6-3. Morford took second on Greg Garcia's sacrifice, but Kolten Wong grounded out to first to end the inning.

Portland returned the favor in the bottom of the fourth by sending nine batters up to score three to tie the game at 6. Rocky Gale led off with a single and one out later took second on Kauppila's single. Both advanced when Armijo grouned out to short. Gale scored and Kauppila took third on a wild pitch on ball four to Fraser to pull Portland to 6-4. Little was pulled for Ryan Davis, who walked Kraus to load the bases. Pinch hitter Cort Carpenter's RBI single reloaded the bases and made it 6-5. Henricks walked to score Fraser to tie the game at 6 and reload the bases before Pearce flied out to right to end the inning.

Hawai'i regained the lead in the fifth. Catricala led off with a double to left and took third when Macdonald flied out to deep center. Wakefield was replaced by Brent Miller, who got Hernandez on an RBI ground out to short to give UH a 7-6 lead before Roquemore struck out to end the inning.

The Pilots tied it in the bottom of the fifth. Gale led off with a walk and Davis was pulled for freshman Jesse Moore. Queen flied out to deep center. Gale took second when Kauppila reached on Catricala's fielding error. The runners advanced when Armijo flied out to deep center. Gale scored to tie the game at 7 on a passed ball that moved Kauppila to third before Fraser was called out on strikes to end the inning.

The Rainbows grabbed the lead again in the sixth. Van Doornum led off with a single to left and took second when Montplaisir grounded out to first before Morford walked. Garcia struck out, but Wong's RBI single moved Morford to third and put UH ahead, 8-7. Catricala grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Pilots tied the game in the seventh. Pearce singled to center and took second on Gale's flare single to right. Both advanced on Queen's sacrifice and Kauppila walked to load the bases. Armijo singled to right to tie the game at 8 and reload the bases. But Fraser grounded to short for an inning-ending double play.