Joseph Scaperotta's grand slam highlighted an eight-run sixth and New Mexico State rallied from a 4-2 deficit to a 13-8 win against Hawai'i to earn at least a split of the four-game Western Athletic Conference series at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces, N.M.

Scaperotta's slam was one of three homers by the Aggies. Hawai'i also hit three homers, two by Jon Hee and one by Jeff Van Doornum.

Heath Goin (6-2) allowed five runs, 10 hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in seven innings for the Aggies (26-27 overall, 13-13 WAC)

Nick Rhodes (4-5) gave up six runs (five earned), eight hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings for the Rainbows (24-27 16-14).

The Aggies struck first in the second inning three successive singles. With one out, Tyler Hardt singled and stopped at second on Marcus Quade's single. Joe Leghorn's RBI single gave the Aggies a 1-0 lead.

The Rainbows took the lead in the top of the third with their first home run of the series. With one out, Greg Garcia walked and Jon Hee followed with a homer to left, his second home run of the season, to give UH a 2-1 lead.

Hawai'i scored again in the fourth. Successive singles by Vinnie Catricala, Ryan Asato and Landon Hernandez loaded the bases before Matt Roquemore struck out. But Garcia followed with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 3-1.

The Rainbows continued their scoring in the fifth. Evan Zimny singled with one out and scored on Kevin Macdonald's double to right to make it 4-1. Macdonald took third when Catricala flied out to center.

The Aggies answered in the bottom of the fifth. Richard Stout doubled with one out, took third on a wild pitch and after Bryan Marquez struck out, scored on Joseph Scaperotta's double to left-center to pull to 4-2.

The Aggies sent 13 batters to the plate in an eight-run sixth to take the lead. With one out, Quade singled and Leghorn walked. Franky Busani singled up the middle to score Quade to pull NMSU to 4-3. Pinch hitter Nick Cejka reached safely on a fielder's choice grounder to third, but Leghorn scored to tie the game at 5 and Busani took third when third baseman Catricala threw wildly to second. Rhodes was pulled for Jayson Kramer with runners at the corners with one out. Kramer hit Stout to load the bases. Marquez walked to force in a run to give NMSU a 5-4 lead. Scaperotta's grand slam made it 9-4. Kramer struck out Chris Auten Hardt singled and took third on Quade's single to short. Leghorn singled up the middle to score Hardt to make it 10-4.

A lead-off homer by Hee in the seventh pulled UH to 10-5.

Marquez hit a two-run home run in the seventh off Alex Myers to make it 12-5. An out later, Chris Auten homered to left-center to make it 13-5.

Hawai'i got a run in the eighth against Jason Connor

Asato led off with a double and reached third when pinch hitter Kevin Fujii reached on an error. One out later, pinch hitter Ryan Morford doubled to score pinch runner Van Doornum from third to make it 13-6.

Van Doornum hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to make it 13-8.