Once again, Hawai'i got the jump on Nevada early, only to fall in a 7-2 loss last night at Peccole Park in Reno, Nev.

The hot Wolf Pack, who started the baseball series in third place in the Western Athletic Conference, closed to two games of first-place Fresno State with the series sweep. Nevada improved to 31-22 overall and 14-7 in the WAC. Fresno State is 16-5. Both teams have three games left.

The Rainbows (31-22, 9-12) dropped into a tie for fourth with San Jose State. It was the second time this season they were swept in a three-game series; the other was against nationally ranked Wichita State. But it also is the second time they have lost three in a row after going the 2006 season without losing more than two in a row.

"We just have to play better," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "We still hold our own destiny in our hands. We have to play well next weekend, regroup and play well in the tournament.

"As down as we might feel because we just didn't play well, the reality is as quickly as it turned for us to have a bad weekend, it can turn the other way. We can play well. That's basically what we plan on doing."

Ironically, Nevada will be pulling for UH this weekend. The Rainbows will host Fresno State in another Saturday- through-Monday series to close the regular season. A perfect combination of Nevada wins this weekend against San Jose State and Fresno State losses would give the Wolf Pack the top seed for the WAC tournament, which will be held at Reno. The top six qualify for the tournament. New Mexico State was eliminated from any chance over the weekend. The tournament winner gets an automatic NCAA regional berth.

Hawai'i can finish no higher than fourth, and can slip as low as sixth. In case of tiebreakers for seeding purposes, UH has it over Sacramento State (10-14), but not against San Jose State.

It was deja vu for the Rainbows yesterday. They took a 2-0 lead after three innings, scoring in the first on back-to-back doubles by Jon Hee and Derek DuPree, and in the third on another double by Hee, who scored one out later on a double by Kris Sanchez.

Hawai'i starter Mark Rodrigues (8-3) held the Wolf Pack scoreless through five. But in the sixth, Nevada tied it 2-2 on an RBI single by Shaun Kort and sacrifice fly by Konrad Schmidt.

The Wolf Pack then sent nine batters to the plate in a five-run seventh to complete their comeback. David Ciarlo's RBI single broke the tie, and Jason Rodriguez's three-run double accentuated the inning. Schmidt's RBI double put a cap on it.

Rodrigues went 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs and eight hits with two strikeouts. Tyler Davis gave up three runs in one-third of an inning.

Kyle Howe (3-3), who lasted just 1 1/3 innings and gave up three runs in Honolulu, went eight innings yesterday. He allowed two runs, six hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. Matt Renfree added a perfect ninth to seal the sweep.

After Sanchez's RBI double, only three other Rainbows reached base. Justin Frash, who singled, was erased on a double play in the fourth, Vinnie Catricala was picked off in the seventh and Nate Young was stranded after drawing a one-out walk in the eighth.

The Rainbows are scheduled to return home today.