RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Two early offensive threats in game one by UC Riverside and a late rally in game two couldn't disguise a challenging Saturday for the Highlanders at Riverside Sports Complex, where the University of Hawai'i won both ends of their doubleheader, 7-0 and 13-4.
 
In the opening game of the day, UC Riverside freshman Tucker Juline settled down with his off-speed stuff keep the first rotation of Hawai'i hitters at bay. In the bottom of the third, Anthony Mata singled the first pitch he saw to give UCR a baserunner. Ely Stuart then guided a pitch away to right field for another single, pushing Mata to second with nobody out. Mason Grace showed intentions to bunt, but walked instead, loading the bases for Travis Bohall.
 
With the count at 2-0 to Bohall, Rainbow pitcher Austin Teixeria had to take a meeting at the mound, after which he fell to 3-0 with no place to put any more Highlanders. Two called strikes brought the count full before Bohall sharp liner was caught by third baseman Matt Campos, who doubled up Grace failing to get back to first. The Highlanders still had runners at second and third with two out, but Pofek struck out swinging to end the threat and the inning.
 
Juline served three straight flyouts to exit the top of the fourth, and Nathan Webb reached on a two-out single to right to begin the UCR half of the inning. Joey Nicolai hit the ball hard back up the middle and under Teixieira to bring up Mata with two men on. Mata out the first pitch he saw into short left field, where left fielder Scotty Scott was playing shallow enough to throw to catcher Tyler Murray and get Webb at the plate.
 
The Highlanders would miss those opportunities immediately when Matt Campos hit his first home run of the season over the left field wall for a 1-0 Hawai'i lead in the top half of the fifth inning.
 
Juline showed signs of tiring in the top of the sixth, walking Scott for the second time and tossing a wild pitch to allow Jacob Igawa's single to drive Scott in from second, and give the visitors a 2-0 lead and nobody out.
 
With Lachemann warming up in potential relief, Joline got two outs on a popout to left and a fly to right before Tyler Murray blooped to left. Pinch hitter Safea Villaruz-Mauai struck out swinging to end the top half of the sixth. The Highlanders went down in order to end the sixth with Treixeira cruising after earlier scares.
 
New pitcher Shamus Lyons came in for his eighth appearance of the season to start the seventh and gave up two singles and a run before he was replaced by Jake Lachemann with the Highlanders down, 4-0. In the bottom of the 9th, down Dylan Orick hit a standup double before Hawai'i reliever Cade Halemanu earned the save to end game one.
 
In game two, UCR starting pitcher Tyler Frazier allowed the first four Rainbow Warriors to score after Kole Kaler singled and later scored on a wild pitch, Scott was hit by a pitch and scored along with Igawa on a single by Fogel, who scored on a single by Campos.
 
The Highlanders got back one run in the bottom of the 1st inning, a groundball to shortstop by Orick allowed Bohall to motor home from third on heads-up base running after a throw in the dirt to first for an error, putting UCR on the board, 4-1.
 
The Highlanders and Hawai'i then trade runs, with an RBI from Bohall before UCR left a runner on third when Shanks struck out to end inning with the the home squad down, 5-2.
 
The top of the fourth got shaky after a throwing error by Webb allowed Scott to stand on second and Kaler on third after his inning-opening double. A double by Igawa scored both to stretch the Hawaii lead to 7-0. A single by Ely Stuart couldn't get anything going as Bohall hit into a double play to end the fourth.
 
Redshirt freshman Connor Martin took the hill for the top of the fifth, giving up an RBI single before Kole Kale completed his cycle in his fourth at bat with a home run to deep right field, part of a five-run inning for the Rainbows and a 12-1 lead. Again the Highlanders had their threat ended in the bottom half of the inning by a double play to end the fifth.
 
A triple by Andrez Melendrez led off the sixth inning, as the Highlanders hoped to stave off the 10-run mercy rule at the end of seven. Nick McFarland obliged for UCR, singling home Melendez, then scoring on a double from Grace to trim the lead to 12-4.
 
Another run came across on a double play by the Highlanders in the eighth, and UCR pitcher Kevin West walked the bases loaded for leadoff hitter Kole Kaler, who climbed into the box with a cycle under his belt, but mercifully lifted a third-out fly to center.
 
Down 13-4 in the bottom half of the eighth, UCR put runners on the corners with two outs and Grace at the plate, but the freshman grounded out to third. The ninth saw redshirt freshman Marcellus Pearson get his first hit of the season, but Shanks flied out and Damien Sanchez grounded out to end the game.
 
The four-game series between UC Riverside (6-16 [4-11 Big West]) and Hawai'i (16-12 [8-8 Big West]) wraps up at The Plex Sunday at 1 p.m. PT.