Hawai'i allowed double-digit runs for the eighth time in its last nine Western Athletic Conference road games in a 14-11 loss to Fresno State last night at Pete Beiden Field in Fresno, Calif.

The Rainbows (27-22 overall, 9-12 WAC) dropped their seventh consecutive conference game and fell a half-game behind the fifth-place Bulldogs (24-25, 8-10).

Moreover, Sacramento State (6-9) beat Nevada, 14-13, to pull into a tie with UH for sixth place.

The Rainbows led by as much as 7-0 entering the bottom of the third inning and slugged four home runs to keep pace with the Bulldogs.

"I'm proud of all of our guys," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "They battled their (behinds) off. Once again, we didn't pitch."

Compounding UH's pitching woes is a wrist injury to senior catcher Landon Hernandez, an ironman behind the plate since his sophomore year. Trapasso said Hernandez was hit by a pitch several weeks ago, but the pain got to a point where he cannot make a fist. Trapasso said he is likely out for the season. Kevin Fujii started last night, batting 3 for 5 with a three-run double. Center fielder Kolten Wong is the emergency catcher, but Fujii will catch both games of today's doubleheader, which had its starting time changed to 11 a.m., Hawai'i Time. Trapasso said Wong will only catch if Fujii is injured. The freshman Wong was an all-state catcher at Kamehameha-Hawai'i.

"I thought he played a great game," Trapasso said of Fujii's offensive and defensive performance.

As for last night, it was the same story: a lack of quality pitching.

Starter Matt Sisto allowed seven runs (five earned) in five innings, but left with a 9-7 lead. Josh Slaats labored in a four-run sixth, getting only one out before giving way to Sam Spangler (5-2), who settled the game long enough to watch Kevin Macdonald's two-run homer in the eighth tie it at 11. But the Bulldogs scored three with two out in the bottom of the eighth, ignited by a two-run flare double by Gavin Hedstrom in front of the diving center fielder Wong.

Spangler pitched 2 2/3 innings yesterday. Usually, that would render a pitcher unavailable the next day, but Trapasso said he will use him today if necessary.

"These are desperate times," Trapasso said. "If he's feeling OK, he'll be live."

Josh Poytress (2-2) was the beneficiary of the late rally, pitching a scoreless two-thirds of an inning. Holden Sprague added a scoreless ninth for his second save.

The Rainbows hit four home runs . Besides Macdonald, Vinnie Catricala, Wong and Christian Johnson each homered. Hawai'i has 55 homers this season, three shy of the school record set in 1983.

For the second game in a row, freshman left fielder Dusty Robinson wielded a dangerous bat. He was 4 for 5 with four RBI, including a three-run home run in FSU's five-run third.

Tom Mendonca, honored before the game for being the school's career home run leader, hit his 21st homer of the season, giving him 50 in his three seasons at Fresno State. He also had four RBI.