Kevin Fujii raced home from second with the winning run on a single to shortstop by Sean Montplaisir to lead Hawai'i over Alabama-Birmingham, 4-3, tonight in the opener of the non-conference two-game series at Les Murakami Stadium.

In the bottom of the ninth, Fujii was hit by a pitch with one out. With Fujii moving with the pitch, he took second when Greg Garcia grounded out to second. Jon Hee was intentionally walked. Sean Montplaisir then singled to short, but Fujii kept on going and slid under the tag for the winning run.

UH starter Josh Slaats went six innings, allowing a run, five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. It was the longest outing from a freshman starter this season for the Rainbows (6-9 ). UAB starter Johnny Volk went 6 1/3 innings, allowing a run, three hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

Jayson Kramer allowed a run on three hits with three strikeouts in two innings of relief. Kyle Roberson (1-2) was charged with three runs 2 1/3 innings. Matt Daly (3-1) allowed a run on an RBI double to Ryan Keedy to tie the game at 3 in the top of the ninth.

The Blazers (6-8 ) got to Slaats in the first. With one out, Brint Hardy was hit by a pitch and Phil Bell walked. Hardy stole third on the first pitch to Ryan Keedy, but Bell held first. With the count 2-1, Bell stole second. But Slaats struck out Keedy. Austin Taylor's single to short scored Hardy and moved Bell to third, but Slaats reitred Luke Stewart on a comebacker to end the inning with UAB leading 1-0.

UAB added a run in the seventh against Jayson Kramer. With one out, Hardy singled and took third on Bell's double to right; Bell was caught off second on the overslide for the second out. But Keedy singled to right to score Hardy to make it 2-0 before Austin Taylor grounded out to second for the third out.

The Rainbows sent nine batters to the plate in a three-run seventh to take the lead. Vinnie Catricala walked to start the inning and took second on Evan Zimny's sacrifice. Volk was pulled for right-hander Kyle Roberson to face the right-handed hitting Kevin Macdonald, who singled up the middle to drive in Catricala to pull UH to 2-1. Landon Hernandez walked and Kevin Fujii's hard grounder up the middle was deflected by shortstop Jonathan Merritt to shallow right-center for an RBI double to tie the game at 2. Pinch hitter Greg Garcia lined out to the pitcher for the second out. Sean Montplaisir was hit by a pitch to force across the go-ahead run to make it 3-2.

The Blazers tied it in the ninth. Nick Crawford singled to left and Merritt walked. But Daly struck out Hardy, who was showing bunt in his at-bat. Bell grounded to short for a force at second to put runners at the corners.