Weary Hawai'i overcame fatigue from its long plane trip in outlasting Louisiana Tech, 13-7, yesterday to take the opener of the Western Athletic Conference series at J.C. Love Field in Ruston, La.

Landon Hernandez and Vinnie Catricala drove in three runs apiece for the Rainbows (20-22 overall, 12-9 overall), who had 14 hits.

Hernandez was 2 for 5, including a two-run single in a five-run first and Catricala was 3 for 4, including a bases-clearing triple in a four-run sixth.

With first-place Fresno State's 9-3 win against Nevada, the Rainbows moved past the Wolf Pack (9-8) for sole possession of third. Second-place Sacramento State (10-6) lost to New Mexico State, 7-4, and leads UH by one game. Fresno State has a three-game lead on Sacramento State and four on UH.

The Bulldogs (16-23, 2-17) trailed 5-0 before they got to bat, but pulled to within 11-7 in the seventh, only to watch UH freshman Sean Montplaisir hit his first collegiate home run of the season, a two-run shot in the top of the eighth.

"We won today on offense and you're going to have to in this ballpark because these guys (the Bulldogs) can swing the bat and it's a hitter's park," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "A game like that on Friday (when team's start their best pitchers) didn't surprise me one bit."

Jared Alexander (6-3) gave up a run in the first, but blanked the Bulldogs the next four innings. But he was tagged for three runs in sixth and three in the seventh before departing after 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 13 hits, but walked none, and struck out six.

Cory Kahn finished the last 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

"He (Alexander) started showing fatigue about an inning earlier than he normally does, which doesn't surprise me because just about the fifth inning our (other) guys started showing fatigue," Trapasso said. "It's that second day after the long trip where you start feeling it a little bit.

"Cory came in and did a nice job putting up zeros, but he didn't have his best stuff. He looked really tired. He didn't have what we're used to seeing on his fastball, but got the job done for us."

Bulldogs' starter Luke Burnett (0-4) didn't get out of the first inning, facing just eight batters. The Rainbows jumped on him for five runs in the first, when he walked four, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch and allowed two hits.

Burnett was followed by five relievers with four of them getting charged with runs.

Hawai'i had an 11-1 lead after the top of the sixth before Louisiana Tech got three in the sixth and three in the seventh. Clay Alexander, who doubled in the sixth as a pinch hitter and remained in the game in right field, hit a two-run home run that ended Jared Alexander's day.

The homer brought the Bulldogs within striking distance with two more innings left. But Montplaisir's homer in the eighth gave the Rainbows some breathing room.

"They had taken some momentum and we were able to get back with that," Trapasso said of Montplaisir's homer. "That just got back all the momentum on our side."

The series resumes with a doubleheader today. The opener is scheduled for 8 a.m., HST. The second game will start about 45 minutes after the end of the first game.

The games will be broadcast on ESPN 1420 AM.