The games were as different as night and day.

Hawai'i and San Francisco split a doubleheader with the Rainbows hanging on to take the opener, 9-6, before pressing the Dons late in the nightcap in a 6-5 loss before 1,194 at Les Murakami Stadium.

In the opener, the Rainbows (4-2) got a strong pitching performance from starter Jared Alexander and took advantage of control problems by USF starter Evan Fredrickson, who faced eight batters without getting an out, walking four in the process, in a seven-run first.

But the tables were turned in the second game when USF's Matt Baugh turned in eight strong innings and got help from Joe Oropeza, who gave up a run in the process of getting the final three outs for the Dons (1-2). Meanwhile, UH freshman starter Sam Spangler (0-1) had control issues in his 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, while walking five.

Baugh (1-0) had the Rainbows beating the new turf, registering 14 ground outs in the first seven innings. He struck out the side in the eighth, giving him six on the night.

"He was good," UH coach Mike Trapasso said of Baugh, a senior left-hander. "Yet, I was proud of our guys because we were competing the whole way. He was in control of the game, but we were battling. We were hitting balls hard, but we were hitting them all on the ground, right at them. Baugh was the story of that game. He beat us."

Baugh was at 108 pitches after eight innings, but he wanted to see if he could finish the game, even though it was his first start of the season. Dons coach Nino Giarratano said with his bullpen already taxed from the first two games, he was willing to let his senior try for the complete game.

"To see him want to go out in the ninth was great," Giarratano said. "He wanted to go back out. He was a little tired; they got to him a little bit in the ninth, but a wonderful performance."

Baugh said he was able to spot his fastballs in and out and established his changeup early.

"I just wanted to go out in the ninth inning because I've never gone that far in a game before," Baugh said. "Last week, I had seven innings in intrasquad and I felt I could go nine if I push myself."

But Kevin Macdonald led off with a line single to right and took third on Jeff Van Doornum's double to right. Having thrown 120 pitches, Baugh was pulled for Oropeza, who retired pinch hitter Evan Zimny on an RBI ground out to second that moved Van Doornum to third. Landon Hernandez's sacrifice fly to left pulled UH to within 6-4 but the bases were empty with two outs. Oropeza walked Matt Roquemore and pinch hitter Derek DuPree. Jon Hee's RBI single sent DuPree to third with the score 6-5. But Oropeza struck out Vinnie Catricala to strand the tying and winning runs at the corners.

Van Doornum, who was 2 for 4 with three RBI and a double in the opener, was the only Rainbow to get two hits off Baugh, both doubles.

"He hit his spots well," Van Doornum said. "His changeup was working and he was throwing all his pitches for strikes. He had fastball command, kept it down in the zone. He had a good game. We competed our best. Unfortunately, we got the loss. We just have to come out tomorrow and try our best again."

Trapasso has been impressed with Van Doornum, who redshirted last year as a true freshman because of a shoulder injury.

"He can hit," Trapasso said. "He's a guy that's as competitive at the plate as anybody we have every single at-bat."

In the opener, Alexander (2-0) pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs — both unearned — and seven hits, while walking none and striking out four.

"I thought he was more sharp than last week," Trapasso said. "Four pitches for strikes. He was really good."

Today's series finale starts at 1:05 p.m. The Rainbows will send freshman Alex Capaul (0-1) against San Francisco senior Brian Anderson in a battle of right-handers.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.