One team's day started nicely, while the other's ended that way.

Hawai'i and Nevada split a Western Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader yesterday before 1,519 at Les Murakami Stadium. The Rainbows (18-22 overall, 10-9 WAC) took the opener, 13-3, in seven innings because of the 10-run differential rule, to clinch at least a split of the four-game series that ends with today's 1:05 p.m. game. The Wolf Pack (22-16, 9-6) took the second game, 4-3.

For the Rainbows, who took the first two games of the series handily, the split was a disappointment because a sweep was attainable.

"We just didn't finish," UH coach Mike Trapasso said of the second game. "We didn't finish the job. When you play a team like Nevada, you have to finish. We didn't do it on the mound. We didn't do it defensively, we didn't do it offensively ... We could've (won), but we didn't. It's disappointing because we had all the momentum on our side to sweep the doubleheader."

The Wolf Pack, who struggle away from Peccole Park, improving to 2-9 with last night's win, have put themselves in a position to split after dropping the first two games.

"We needed to right the ship today and it puts us in position to make tomorrow a real big game in the series," Nevada coach Gary Powers said.

Both coaches said they were undecided on today's starting pitchers.

HAWAI'I 13, NEVADA 3

The Rainbows did all the right things to win the opener, which ended by the mercy rule.

Nick Rhodes (3-4) tossed a complete game, allowing three runs, five hits and four walks with two strikeouts. By finishing, the Rainbows had a huge advantage in the nightcap, as far as help from the bullpen.

Brandon Haislet led UH's 15-hit assault by batting 3 for 4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Greg Garcia was 3 for 3 with two RBIs. Landon Hernandez, Kevin Macdonald and Jon Hee each had two hits. They handed Nevada starter Kyle Howe (5-1) his first loss of the season. He lasted just two-plus innings, allowing six runs, five hits and five walks with four strikeouts.

"We haven't pitched that well the first two games and we haven't swung the bat as consistently as we have," Powers said. "I give credit to the Hawai'i pitching staff for doing a nice job on us that way."

The Rainbows had a four-run second inning on an RBI double by Hernandez and a three-run double by Haislet. The Wolf Pack returned with two runs in the top of the third on a two-run single by Jason Rodriguez, but the Rainbows responded with another four-run inning in the bottom of the third.

Hawai'i continued its assault on reliever Chris Garcia for five runs in three-plus innings. Jeff Van Doornum's two-run double highlighted a three-run sixth. The game ended with a two-run seventh on Haislet's RBI double and Macdonald's RBI single.

"It gives us a lot more confidence," Haislet said of the way the Rainbows came out hitting. "As long as we stayed aggressive, good things are going to happen for us. But it kind of got away from us the second game."

NEVADA 4, HAWAI'I 3

Freshman left-hander Brock Stassi turned in seven-plus strong innings and Mario Rivera retired all six batters he faced for his first save.

Stassi (3-0) gave up three runs and 10 hits and struck out five for the Wolf Pack, who walked 14 batters in the first two games of the series.

"They way we pitched the first two games, it was imperative that he did that," Powers said of Stassi's performance. "He really came up big for us today. I can't say enough about his effort ... and (he) has helped our weekend out."

Leads changed four times in the game with the Wolf Pack scoring twice in the eighth to overcome a 3-2 deficit.

The Rainbows started Alex Bates, who went the first four innings, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts. Cory Kahn followed with 3 1/3 innings that took him into the eighth.

After getting Jason Sadoian on a grounder, Kahn walked Matt Bowman, who then scored the tying run on Rodriguez's double to left. After falling behind 1-0 on Shaun Kort, Trapasso pulled Kahn for Jayson Kramer. Kort reached on an infield single that was stopped by shortstop Jon Hee, whose throw to third was wide in an attempt to nail Rodriguez at third.

Rodriguez scored the go-ahead run on Terry Walsh's fielder's choice grounder to first baseman Macdonald, whose throwing error allowed the runner on first to take third and the batter to take second. After Mike Hale was intentionally walked, David Ciarlo grounded to short against a drawn-in infield and Kort was forced out at home. Pinch-hitter Waylen Sing Chow, a 2007 Kamehameha graduate, flied out to left to end the inning.

"I really blew it," Trapasso said. "I had in my mind to go Bates and Kahn to the eighth, let Kramer start the eighth because Kramer usually does better when he starts an inning for the most part. It was stupid on my part to stay with Cory the second time through the lineup; that's when Cory starts getting hit, especially after the walk. I hurt us on that one."

Kahn (2-1) was charged with two runs on just one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.

Kramer, who used 30 pitches in his 1 1/3 innings, is available for today, Trapasso said.

NOTES

The triple by Walsh that hit the right-field wall post and bounced back into play in Friday's game would not have been a home run. According to the ground rules, the pole is considered a part of the wall, so the ball was in play, Trapasso said.

Also, the announcement that UH-Hilo is moving to Division II next season means it is the end of the UH-UHH series. The two were to play a four-game series to start the NCAA Division I season, a week earlier than the rest of the nation because of an exemption, in 2009. Because UHH is Division II, wins from that series would not count toward UH's total for at-large bid purposes, even though the game would still count against the 56-game limit. It also means the Rainbows will have to fit four more games into a 13-week window along with the rest of the nation, Trapasso said.