Despite playing better than in the past few weeks, Hawai'i suffered a heart-breaking doubleheader sweep from Fresno State, 6-5 and 4-3, yesterday at Beiden Field in Fresno, Calif.

In each game, the Bulldogs won on a two out-RBI single in the bottom of the ninth in taking two of three of the Western Athletic Conference series. A doubleheader was played because of Saturday's rainout.

"It was a very disappointing day for us, but I told our kids the reality is we were better this weekend than we were last weekend," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "We just gotta keep our heads up and come in and win the series next weekend and just keep getting better."

Tom Sandell, who scored the winning run in the opener on Loren Storey's single, singled home the winning run in the second game for the Bulldogs (23-19 overall, 8-4 WAC). Fresno State remained in second place, a game behind Louisiana Tech (9-3), which swept a three-game series at Sacramento State by also sweeping a doubleheader yesterday.

The Rainbows (25-15, 6-6) fell to fourth; Nevada (7-5) pulled into third with a three-games series sweep of San Jose State (3-6). Hawai'i returns home to play a three-game series with Louisiana Tech.

In yesterday's first game, the Bulldogs took a 5-0 lead after six innings against UH starter Joshua Schneider, who went 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

UH stormed back with four runs in the seventh against FSU starter Justin Wilson. Evan Zimny and Eli Christensen hit RBI singles, Landon Hernandez had an RBI ground out and Jon Hee an RBI double.

The Rainbows tied the score in the ninth against reliever Brandon Burke in what could have been a bigger inning. Zimny was hit by a pitch and lifted for pinch runner Matt Roquemore, who took second on Hernandez's single. Kevin Fujii pinch ran for Hernandez. But Christensen, who bunted for a base hit in the seventh, struck out after bunting foul with two strikes. It was costly because Hee followed with a single to left, but Roquemore was thrown out at home trying to score from second, leaving runners at the corners with two outs. Pinch hitter Derek DuPree singled to score Fujii to make it 5-5.

"It was big, obviously, because that would've given us another run to take the lead," Trapasso said of Christensen's failed sacrifice try. "We have to be able to do those things."

Meanwhile, Jayson Kramer (3-2) had gone 2 1/3 scoreless innings entering the bottom of the ninth. After retiring the first two batters, Kramer gave up an infield single to Sandell, who then took second on Erik Wetzel's single. Storey followed with his game-winning hit.

In the second game, UH starter Ian Harrington had his longest outing in five starts, when he went 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and seven hits with four strikeouts. He left with a 3-2 lead with two outs in the seventh and a runner at first. Matt Daly came in and struck out Sandell to end the inning.

But in the eighth, Storey hit a solo home run to right to make it 3-3.

Trapasso turned to Tyler Davis to start the ninth. Ozzie Lewis reached on a flair single to center and took second on Alan Ahmady's sacrifice. Tommy Mendonca was intentionally walked to create a double play situation, but pinch hitter Ryan Overland grounded out to first to advance the runners and set the stage for Sandell's winning hit.

The Rainbows snapped a 1-1 tie in the fifth on Brandon Haislet's two-run home run to right, but managed only three singles the rest of the game. Clayton Allison (7-3), who lasted one-plus innings as Friday's starter, pitched three scoreless innings of relief.

Harrington, moved from the Friday spot to Sunday after struggling in his previous four starts, was the only UH starter to pitch beyond the sixth inning on the road trip, during which UH went 3-4.

"He was good," Trapasso said. "He probably could've stayed in there. It was disappointing we couldn't hold the lead."

Justin Frash, the only Rainbow to start every game this season, was benched in the second game after a rough first game. He was 2 for 3 in the opener before grounding into a double play in UH's four-run seventh and bounced out to the pitcher on the first pitch for the last out in the top of the ninth after DuPree's RBI single tied the score at 5. He did make a pinch-hitting appearance in the second game, but struck out.

"He just needed to sit," Trapasso explained.