Youth served Hawai'i well in its 3-1 baseball win against Oregon yesterday.

Freshman Matt Sisto pitched seven strong innings and sophomore reliever Josh Slaats pitched out of two jams, while freshman Kolten Wong and sophomore Greg Garcia each scored and drove in a run to help the Rainbows (12-7) advance to today's championship against nemesis Portland in the Rose City Invitational at PGE Park in Portland, Ore. It is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., Hawai'i time.

Although the teams have a brief history, Portland has dominated UH. Hawai'i's only loss in the tournament was a 13-2 drubbing by the Pilots. In their only other meeting, the Pilots hammered the Rainbows, 15-8, last year at Arizona State's tournament.

"It's all about trying to play better against these guys than we did (Friday) and it starts with our guy on the mound," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "There isn't any doubt we're in a situation that the offense will have to pick us up being that we don't have a whole lot of guys available in the pen. But we're up to the challenge."

Because UH's veteran starting pitchers labored in Friday's doubleheader, half the bullpen was depleted. So it was imperative that Sisto (2-1) deliver. In previous starts, he fatigued at about 70 pitches. Yesterday, Sisto used 97 in matching his season-high of seven innings. He allowed a run and seven hits, while walking none and striking out three.

"It was sure a lot more fun to watch our pitching today than yesterday," Trapasso said. "You got a freshman out there and we didn't pitch well yesterday and he comes in and picks everybody up and goes seven strong. He was strong at the end as he was at the beginning."

Slaats, who blew a save against Minnesota March 1, pitched two scoreless for his second save, but not without drama.

After getting the first two outs in the eighth, he gave up successive singles and a walk to load the bases. But he got Danny Pulfer, who was 2 for 3 against Sisto, on a called third strike with a slider on the outside corner.

In the ninth, Slaats committed a Cardinal sin by walking Kenny Bartz to start the inning. Caleb Tommasini's single to left put runners at first and second. Both advanced on Curtis Raulinaitis' sacrifice.

Mitch Karraker — "their best hitter," Trapasso said — popped out on a 2-0 pitch to shallow left, as the runners retreated to their bags.

Slaats then got cleanup hitter Colby Sokol to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

"I told Slaats he's like John Wetteland, who makes it interesting, but gets it done," Trapasso said. "But Slaatsy's too young to remember John Wetteland. He says, 'Yeah, OK. Who's that?' "

The Ducks (9-10) staked their starting pitcher, left-hander Bennett Whitmore, to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Andrew Schmidt led off with a single to left, stole second and took third on Josh Hogan's sacrifice. Sisto struck out John Adamson, but Pulfer hit an opposite-field RBI single.

The Rainbows battled back against Whitmore in the top of the third to take the lead.

Ryan Morford led off with a single to right, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Garcia's double to right. Wong's single to center scored Garcia with the go-ahead run. Wong, who had taken second on the throw home after the hit, advanced to third when Vinnie Catricala grounded out to first. Kevin Macdonald's sacrifice fly to center scored Wong to make it 3-1.

Whitmore (1-3) allowed two singles in the fourth and departed with runners at the corners with one out. Whitmore, who was charged with three runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings, was replaced by Alex Keudell. He got Morford to hit a grounder to shortstop for an inning-ending double play, despite the runner on first running with the pitch.

Keudell and three relievers combined to blank UH the rest of the way.

The Rainbows will start freshman right-hander Connor Little (1-0) today. He will be making his first start. He was pressed into the rotation because Nate Klein, the No. 2 starter his past four starts, has a tender elbow and did not make the trip.

"We're hoping that Connor can give us five strong (innings)," Trapasso said. "I think it would be unrealistic to ask for more."

Slaats used 44 pitches yesterday, so he will not be available. Alex Capaul (95 pitches in 6 1/3 innings Friday vs. Portland) and Harrison Kuroda (52 pitches in 3 1/3 vs. Washington) also will be rested. Sam Spangler (38 pitches in 1 2/3 vs. UW) might be available.

"I would hesitate to bring Sam back, but he's OK to where he could throw an inning," Trapasso said. "It just depends on how he feels. But that would only be in an emergency situation."

Freshmen Lenny Linsky and Jesse Moore, and junior Ryan Davis have yet to pitch on this trip.