The Rainbows (25-23 overall, 12-10 WAC) pulled to 1ý games of WAC leader Rice (13-8), which was idle yesterday, and have sole possession of second place.

The Bulldogs (25-26, 11-11), one of three teams tied for second in the WAC entering last night, dropped to 2ý back.

"It's pretty exciting right now," said Bryant, one of five seniors on the team after his final outing at home.

"We just have to play good as a team," Lopez said. "It's basically the team. It's not just one or two guys doing it. It's everyone coming through."

Bryant said all of his pitches worked. The Rainbows were idle last week and the extra rest helped, he said.

"(With) the week and a half off, my arm is pretty healthy right now," he said.

It was a classic pitchers' duel between Bryant and FSU's Garza (5-5), who had beaten UH in his last three appearances. Garza allowed three runs on six hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts.

"Both pitchers were outstanding," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "If you like good pitching, this is as good a game as you could ask for."

Bryant knew he had to have his A game against Garza.

"He's a good pitcher," Bryant said of Garza. "So I knew it was going to be a low-scoring ball game. Fortunately, we got our bats going and got four runs. That was plenty for me."

Bryant used 111 pitches.

"He looked good from the start of the game during warmups to the end of the game," batterymate Lopez said. "You couldn't ask for a better game."

It wasn't just Bryant's pitching that was brilliant. He fielded himself out of trouble in the sixth when the Bulldogs had runners at second and third with one out, when he fielded a comebacker off the bat of Chase Moore and nailed the runner retreating to third for the second out. He then struck out Steve Susdorf to end the inning. He then retired nine of the last 11 batters to end the game.

The Rainbows took a 1-0 lead in the second. Nate Thurber singled to center, and, an out later, Adam Roberts walked. Lopez was hit by a pitch with two outs to load the bases and set up Derek DuPree's four-pitch walk to force across the run.

But the Bulldogs tied it in the fifth when Bryant allowed three successive singles to start the inning. Ryan Overland's RBI single came after Moore and Susdorf singled to put runners at first and second.

The Rainbows then got three of their seven hits against Garza in the seventh. With one out, Lopez drilled his home run to right-center on a high fastball. DuPree reached on a chop single to second, took second when Joe Spiers grounded out to short and scored on Erik Ammon's single to right-center to make it 3-1.

"I was just trying to get a good swing on it," Lopez said of the pitch he hit for the homer. "I wasn't expecting anything. I thought it would go because I felt it pretty good off the bat, but I wasn't sure it was going to go out."

Trapasso was happy for Lopez, who was batting .198 entering last night's game.

"He's come close (to homering) a lot," Trapasso said. "He's hit a lot of balls hard. He's been swinging well over the last few weeks."

Hawai'i added an insurance run in the eighth against relief pitcher Michael Cooper. Thurber led off with a walk and took second on Schafer Magana's sacrifice. After Roberts struck out, Cooper intentionally walked Matt Inouye to face Lopez, who hit an RBI ground single to left.

The series continues at 6:35 tonight. Justin Costi (2-4) will start for UH against Doug Fister (5-5).

AWARD

Kobayashi Jr. has been UH supporter

Bert Kobayashi Jr., 'Ahahui Koa Anuenue president since 2003, will receive the Charles Ushijima Award prior to tonight's Hawai'i-Fresno State baseball game at Les Murakami Stadium.

The Ushijima Award is given to a volunteer who has supported the UH athletic program. It was originally called the Rainbow Service Award.

Ushijima was responsible for the construction of Les Murakami Stadium and has been a president of the UH booster club for baseball.