Hawai'i had the ill players, but it was Nevada feeling sick after the Rainbows scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning — highlighted by a three-run double by Justin Frash — in an 8-5 win yesterday to clinch their first Western Athletic Conference series at Peccole Park in Reno, Nev.

The Rainbows (27-11 overall, 5-5 WAC) — without outfielders Derek DuPree and Jorge Franco, as well as pitcher Matt Daly, because of the flu — moved up a notch in the standings into a tie for fourth with Sacramento State (6-6), while the Wolf Pack (15-18, 5-6) dropped to sixth.

"Whoever lost that game, no matter how the ninth played out, it was going to be a gut-wrencher," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "If we don't come back after the way we let 'em back in to the game with the error, you're just kicking yourself. Their closer has a chance to close it out, but he can't throw strikes, so they're kicking themselves. Obviously, it was a big game for us. Sometimes you're better off lucky than good."

Hawai'i is 4-13 at Nevada since the Wolf Pack joined the WAC in 2001. Three of those wins have been in succession.

Tyler Davis (2-1) allowed a run in three relief innings for UH starter Justin Costi, who was charged with four runs (three earned) in six-plus innings.

Trailing 5-3 in the top of the ninth, the Rainbows meticulously pecked away against closer Wesley Dorsett (2-4), who gave up four runs on one hit and four walks in 1 2/3 innings.

With one out, pinch hitter Kris Sanchez singled to left. After Ryan Asato struck out, Eli Christensen walked on four pitches and Robbie Wilder walked on five to load the bases.

Joe Spiers worked the count full, fouling off two pitches before drawing a walk to push across a run to make it 5-4.

Dorsett was pulled for Patrick Mason, who got ahead 0-2 on Frash, who then doubled to left to clear the bases and give UH a 7-5 lead. Luis Avila's bloop single to right scored Frash before Matt Renfree came in to retire Matt Inouye on a fly to center.

"That could be the at-bat of the year, but it what we've seen Justin do," Trapasso said. "Lost in the equation was Joe Spiers drawing a walk and laying off a pretty good pitch there at the end that he'd been getting himself out on all day."

The comeback came two innings after UH squandered a 3-1 lead in the seventh. After consecutive singles off Costi, catcher Esteban Lopez's three-base throwing error on David Ciarlo's sacrifice scored two to tie the game at 3. Costi was pulled for Davis. Drew Johnson's RBI single made it 4-3 and three batters later, Terry Walsh's sacrifice fly to left made it 5-3.

The game started as a pitchers' duel between starters Costi and Nevada's Travis Sutton. Trailing 1-0, the Rainbows scored three in the sixth on a two-run triple by Spiers and RBI single by Frash to put UH ahead, 3-1.

The Rainbows will try for a sweep in today's series finale, set for 10 a.m., Hawai'i time. The game will be broadcast on KKEA 1420 AM.