Hawai'i's struggles in Western Athletic Conference play continued last night.

Fresno State sent 12 batters to the plate in an eight-run fourth to erase a 6-5 deficit in a 17-9 win at Pete Beiden Field in Fresno, Calif.

The defending league and College World Series champion Bulldogs (23-25 overall, 7-10 WAC) pulled to within a half-game of the fifth-place Rainbows (27-21, 9-11), who have dropped their sixth consecutive conference game.

Three Hawai'i pitchers were raked for 17 runs and 16 hits. Starter Jayson Kramer had his shortest outing of the season, lasting just 1 1/3 innings, allowing five runs. Jesse Moore (0-1) went two innings, allowing four runs, while Ryan David went 4 2/3, giving up eight.

"I'm completely embarrassed at the coaching job I'm doing and have done over the last couple weeks," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "I'm totally embarrassed I can't get our guys to get out of this funk we're in, pitching-wise in particular, and play better. I feel like I'm letting everybody down, letting our team down in that I can't get our guys to get back to pitching the way we were and playing the way we were.

"As embarrassed as I am, I am equally confident that we'll shake out of this."

No matter who the 'Bows trotted out to the mound, the Bulldogs had an answer. Dusty Robinson did the most damage, driving in five runs on a 4-for-5 night that featured a solo homer, two-run double and two-run single.

Danny Muno had two doubles, Alan Ahmady had a double and two-run homer, Trent Garrison was 2 for 3 with a homer. Fresno State career home run leader Tom Mendonca didn't homer, but he had a double.

The beneficiary of all the offense was FSU starter Matt Morse (2-2), who gave up nine runs and 13 hits in seven-plus innings. Gene Escat was the only pitcher in the game to not allow a run in his two innings.

It was the third time this season the Rainbows scored nine or more runs and lost. Sean Montplaisir hit his fourth homer of the season in the fourth inning, while Kolten Wong hit his ninth, a two-run shot in the eighth. The Rainbows now have 51 home runs on the season, seven shy of the school record set in 1983.

The game started as a back-and-forth affair early. The Rainbows loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, but only scored on an RBI ground out to third by Kevin Macdonald.

But the Bulldogs scored twice off Kramer in the bottom of the first on Robinson's solo homer and later on an RBI ground out.

Hawai'i returned with three in the second on Ryan Morford's sacrifice fly and two-run single by Vinnie Catricala for a 4-2 lead.

But the Bulldogs matched that with three in the bottom of the second when they cashed in two of Kramer's walks on an RBI double by Muno and two-run double by Robinson to take a 5-4 lead.

The Rainbows scored twice in the fourth to take a 6-5 lead. Montplaisir led off with a homer to left-center to tie it at 5 and later Morford's second sacrifice fly gave UH the lead.

Then the roof caved in on the Rainbows in the bottom of the fourth. A throwing error by Catricala put Muno aboard that started a 12-batter procession in which Moore walked two and allowed a two-run single to Brennan Gowens. Davis didn't fare any better when he came in, allowing four more runs, as the Bulldogs took a 13-6 lead.

The Bulldogs made it 14-6 in the seventh before the Rainbows pulled to 14-9 with three in the top of the eighth.

Fresno State neutralized UH's three with their own three-run eighth on homers by Garrison and Ahmady (two-run shot).

Hawai'i resumes the series at 3 p.m., Hawai'i time, today. Freshman Matt Sisto (4-4) will start for UH.

Meanwhile, the WAC announced yesterday that its postseason tournaments for 2010, 2011 and 2012 will be played at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz.