Reigning Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week Travis Simas' one-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the 12th inning lifted Nevada over Hawai'i, 14-12, last night at Peccole Park in Reno, Nev.

The fifth lead change of the game came when Nick Leid singled with one out and Simas drilled an 0-2 offering from Lenny Linsky, the fifth UH relief pitcher following starter Jayson Kramer.

The Wolf Pack (15-16 overall, 4-1 WAC) gained sole possession of first place, a half-game ahead of idle New Mexico State (3-1) and a full game in front of the Rainbows (20-11, 3-2), who are 3-1 in extra-inning games this season.

"What I'm most disappointed by far is that we just lost our poise on the mound from the second inning on," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "That's the first time we've done that all year."

Moreover, the game was costly. Shortstop Greg Garcia injured his thumb in pregame and paid for it with two fielding errors. He was replaced in the top of the fifth by Shane Hoey, who also committed two errors.

"I feel for Shane," Trapasso said. "Those two errors hurt, but they didn't cost us the game. We had already given up nine runs to that point."

Also, relief pitcher Sam Spangler might have tweaked his back when he was pulled with two out in the 10th after walking a batter.

Garcia and Spangler will be checked by a doctor today to determine their availability the rest of the series, Trapasso said.

Also compounding pitching depth for today is that Connor Little, Spangler and Linsky are unlikely to be available because each threw in excess of 35 pitches. Historically, Trapasso rests a pitcher who throws about 30 in a game.

The Rainbows led 3-0 after two innings, 7-6 after five and 12-9 after eight. The Wolf Pack led 4-3 after four and 9-7 after six before tying the score at 12 with a three-run eighth that was aided by Hoey's errors.

But it wasn't just the errors that hurt the Rainbows. The six pitchers combined to walk 11 batters, four of whom eventually scored.

"Our guys reverted to high school pitchers where they were trying to throw as hard as they could and not worry about where it was going and keeping the ball down," Trapasso said.

"The 0-2 pitch that won the game was supposed to be buried in the dirt and (Linsky) hung it. We probably did it about a half a dozen times tonight. You can say all you want about the cold weather and you can't feel the ball and all that kind of stuff. (But the Nevada pitchers) were hanging in there."

Hawai'i had season highs in runs and hits (18). Kolten Wong led the way, batting 4 for 6, including his team-leading sixth home run, with three RBIs.

Left-handed hitting Christian Johnson's pinch-hit, three-run, opposite-field home run capped a five-run seventh that vaulted UH from a 9-7 deficit to a 12-9 lead.

Neither team's starting pitcher was effective. Kramer, the WAC Pitcher of the Week, went just four-plus innings, allowing six runs (four earned), seven hits and a walk. Nevada left-hander Brock Stassi was tagged for seven runs, 11 hits and three walks, while striking out four in 5 1/3 innings.

The difference was the Rainbows were held scoreless the final five innings. After giving up the three-run shot to Johnson, Tyler Graham pitched a perfect eighth (two of the three runs from the homer were charged to previous relief pitcher Sammy Miller). Then closer Daniel Tinlin (2-0) threw two-hit ball over the final four innings, walking one and striking out three. Tinlin, the team's saves leader with four, also is unlikely to be available today.

The series resumes at 3 p.m., HST. Jared Alexander (0-1, 5.87 ERA) will start for the Rainbows against Nevada left-hander Chris Garcia (2-3, 5.40).

Alexander, the preseason WAC Pitcher of the Year, has struggled with his command his last three starts, none of which lasted longer than four innings.