Brian Rike's 20th home run of the season highlighted a two-run eighth inning to lift the Bulldogs over Hawai'i, 10-9, last night to even the wild and crazy Western Athletic Conference series at 1 before the largest crowd of the season.

The game was declared a sellout with 4,666 tickets distributed; the 3,487 turnstile count was a season high. Both figures are the highest since UH coach Mike Trapasso took over in 2002. The last previous sellout was Feb. 25 last year against Southern California (4,345/3,481).

Rike's solo blast — his 20th homer of the season — came after Adam Cobb's sacrifice fly tied against UH closer Tyler Davis. Rike then inherited the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the ninth after Eli Christensen led off with a triple. The left-handed Rike was then brought in from right field to face the left-handed pinch hitter Derek DuPree, who popped to second with the infield drawn in. After Justin Frash walked, Rike got Brandon Haislet to fly out to left to end the game and notch his first save of the season.

Despite the win, the Bulldogs (30-15 overall, 10-4 WAC) dropped a half-game behind Fresno State (11-4), which swept a doubleheader from New Mexico State last night. The Rainbows (26-16, 7-7) remain in fourth place, 3 1/2 games behind Tech.

Alan Knotts (1-1) pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief — the fourth of five relievers used by Tech — allowing two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Ironically, Davis (5-2) was the most effective of the three pitchers UH used. He allowed two runs on three hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Starter Joshua Schneider and reliever Craig Johnson each went three innings, allowing four runs apiece.

The the three-hour, 47-minute marathon was a pitcher's nightmare. Six Tech pitchers combined for seven walks and four wild pitches. Hawai'i three pitchers combined to walk six with two wild pitches.

Rike's homer — the third of the game by Tech — represented the seventh lead change of the game after UH took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

UH's Schneider lasted just three-plus innings, allowing four runs, six hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

Tech starter Ryan Rupert allowed five runs (three earned), five hits and two walks with one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings.

The Rainbows got another gift from Tech third baseman Courtney Jones in taking a 2-0 lead in the first. Jon Hee led off with a single off first baseman Albie Goulder. After Matt Roquemore struck out, Frash walked. Haislet hit a grounder to Jones, whose throw to second sailed into right field, allowing Hee to score and Frash to take third. Before Kris Sanchez grounded out to end the inning, Frash scored on a passed ball.

But the Bulldogs came storming back in the top of the second. Dennis Winn hit a one-out, solo home run to left. Goulder singled on chopped single to left, stole second, and scored on Nick Grunenwald's triple to right-center. Second baseman Hee's relay to third hit clipped Grunenwald's shoulder and sailed away from third baseman Frash, allowing Grunenwald to score on the error to put Tech ahead, 3-2.

The lead was short-lived as Evan Zimny ripped Rupert's first pitch of the bottom of the second for a home run to right, his second of the season, to tie the game at 3. But the Rainbows could not cash in on Jones' second error of the game, a bobble of a grounder that allowed Christensen to reach first with one out. The next two batters made outs to end the inning.

The Bulldogs quickly regained the lead in the top of the third. With one out, Rike doubled and one out later two walks loaded the bases to set up Goulder's RBI single to left before Grunenwald fouled out to first to end the inning with Tech ahead, 4-3.

Hawai'i chased Rupert in the third. Frash and Haislet's successive singles put runners at first and second. Sanchez's deep flyout to center advanced Frash to third. A wild pitch scored Frash and sent Haislet to second to set up Vinnie Catricala's RBI single to left-center to put UH up 5-4. Zimny walked to put runners at first and second. When Rupert went 2-0 on Landon Hernandez, he was yanked for Jericho Jones. Hernandez's ground out to third advance the runners for Christensen, who struck out.

The Bulldogs tied it in the fourth. Schneider walked Matt Combs to start the inning was pulled for Craig Johnson. After a wild pitch sent Combs to second, Patrick Thomas walked. Adam Cobb reached when he bunted into a force at third. Thomas was caught stealing third for the second out. But Rike's hit-and-run single sent Cobb to third. On an 0-2 count with Courtney Jones at the plate, Cobb scored on a wild pitch that allowed Rike to reach third before Courtney Jones struck out to end the inning with the game tied at 5.

Tech regained the lead in the fifth. Brandon Hudson led off with a walk and took third on Winn's double to left. Goulder struck out, but Hudson scored when Grunenwald grounded out to short. Combs popped out to second to end the inning with Tech lead, 6-5.

Another short-lived lead died in the bottom of the fifth. Catricala doubled and took third on a wild pitch before Zimny walked. A wild pitch by Jericho Jones scored Catricala and sent Zimny to second and tied the game at 6. After Hernandez walked, Jones was pulled for Andrew Alsup, who retired Christensen striking out on a missed bunt attempt. Hee's ground out to first advanced the runner. Alsup was pulled for the left-handed Andrew Lassere to face the left-handed hitting Roquemore. But UH coach Mike Trapasso sent up the right-handed hitting Kevin Macdonald to pinch hit. Macdonld caught the Bulldogs by surprise with a bunt single to third that scored Zimny and moved Hernandez to third. A balk scored Hernandez and sent Macdonald to second to make it 8-6. After Frash walked, Haislet fouled out to the right side on a pop up missed by the catcher, but caught by the first baseman to end the inning.

But in keeping with the theme, the Bulldogs tied the game at 8 on a two-out, two-run home run to left by Courtney Jones.

Lassere started the bottom of the sixth by walking Sanchez on four pitches and was pulled for Knotts. A balk by Knotts moved Sanchez to second, where he went to third when Catricala grounded out to first. Zimny's ground single to right scored Sanchez to give UH a 9-8 lead. Hernandez walked after a wild pitch sent Zimny to second before Christensen flied out to right.

Tech regained the lead in the eighth. Pinch hitter Kevin Winn doubled to right off Davis, took third when Thomas grounded out to second and scored on Cobb's sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 9. Rike then drilled his 20th home run of the season to put the Bulldogs up 10-9.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.