The Rebels dealt good hands to the Rainbows in the seventh (22 consecutive balls) and eighth (bases-loaded, one out) innings, but Hawaii busted both times.

"We had so many chances earlier that we didn't capitalize on," Murakami said. "I felt we were out of them."

But wait -- this isn't the team of January and February that would hit a lot, but not enough. The Rainbows scored three in the bottom of the ninth to win, 6-5, and complete their first series sweep of the season.

After winning the seventh of its last 11 games, Hawaii is 13-27 overall and 5-9 in the Western Athletic Conference West. UNLV is 18-20 overall and 4-11 in the WAC South.

Some of the biggest contributions in the Hawaii rally came from people who needed to redeem themselves.

Take Tracy Nakano's two-run, game-tying triple for example. If Murakami had his way, it would have never happened.

Nakano came up with the tying runs on first and second and none out. Ordered to bunt, he fouled off two pitches.

Then, on a 1-2 delivery from UNLV reliever Andy McCulloch, Nakano pulled a shot down the right-field line and into the corner. By the time the Rebels got the ball back in, it was 5-all with the winning run on third and none out.

"After I missed those two bunt tries I was kind of shaken up. I just couldn't put it down," Nakano said. "And I had two opportunities earlier to drive in runs and couldn't do it. I just wanted to move them up, and it went through."

Kelly Konishi got the game-winner, a clean single up the middle scoring pinch runner Sean Takamori, after intentional walks to Sean Murphy and Robert Medeiros loaded the bases with one out.

Konishi won a seven-pitch battle with McCulloch.

"It was a high fastball," Konishi said. "I just tried to slap it into play, hit it hard somewhere. I'm glad I could contribute.

So were Michael Dartt and Darren Blakely, who started the rally with singles.

Dartt chopped a ball down the third-base line and into left. On a similar hit in the fifth, he made it to second, but was gunned out trying for third on an overthrow. This time, he wisely stopped at first.

Blakely had the worst at-bat of the game in the seventh. After three UNLV pitchers walked the first five Rainbows of the inning -- incredibly, on four pitches each time -- Blakely struck out swinging on a full-count to break the trend. What made it especially bad was that he swung at two pitches that were easily out of the strike zone. A potentially huge inning fizzled.

"I was pretty much keeping to myself after that one," Blakely said. "I'm glad I had a chance to help the team again after that."

In the ninth, Blakely hit a 2-2 pitch solidly into right center to help set up Nakano and Konishi's heroics.

Winning pitcher Jay Spurgeon also stepped up huge with three shutout relief innings.

Jamie Aloy started and left in the seventh after 93 pitches, including several fat ones that let the Rebels build a 5-1 lead.

Spurgeon came in to face Kevin Eberwein -- who had already hit two doubles -- with no outs and a runner on third. Spurgeon, who induced Eberwein to ground out to second baseman Daren Masanda, got out of the inning without the run scoring.

Spurgeon pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. In the ninth, Eberwein whacked his third double, but Spurgeon eluded trouble with defensive help from Masanda and shortstop Dartt, who both made fine plays on grounders.

Although his fastball hit 92 mph (the fastest he's ever been clocked, he said), Spurgeon did not have a strikeout. But he walked only one. He has struggled with control since becoming a pitcher last year.

"I haven't really changed anything," said Spurgeon, who started his Rainbow career as an outfielder. "I'm just getting the hang of this pitching thing and gaining more confidence. It seems like the team is getting more confidence, too. We're having some fun now."

Murakami isn't sure how enjoyable this week's series at San Diego State will be. "They must be pretty good, they swept (first place in the WAC North) Utah," he said.

Murakami said he's not sure who he will start after Daven Hermosura in Friday's opener of the three-game set at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

UNLV (18-20)					Hawaii (13-27)
		ab	r	h	bi			ab	r	h	bi
N.Smith rf	4	1	1	0	Blakely cf	5	1	1	0
Adolph lf	1	0	0	0	Nakano lf	5	0	1	2
Hankins 3b	3	0	1	1	Takamori pr	0	1	0	0
Eberwein ss	5	1	3	0	Millichap rf	5	0	0	0
Ludwick lf-rf	5	1	1	0	Murphy 3b	3	1	2	0
McNiel dh	4	1	1	1	Medeiros 1b	3	1	1	1
Jones cf	4	0	1	2	Konishi dh	3	1	2	1
Hall c		4	1	1	0	Masanda 2b	2	0	1	0
Anthony 2b	4	0	1	1	Perreira c	2	0	0	1
A.Smith 1b	3	0	0	0	Dartt ss	3	1	2	1
	Totals	37	5	10	5		Totals	31	6	10	6

UNLV	300	001	100--5
Hawaii	000	100	203--6

			IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Zipser			6	4	3	3	4	3
Anderson		0	0	0	0	1	0
Scott			0	0	0	0	1	0
McCulloch (L,2-2)	2-1/3	6	3	3	3	3
Aloy			6	9	5	5	1	4
Spurgeon (W,2-3)	3	1	0	0	1	0

WP--Anderson, Hermosura 4. PB--Hall. HBP--Blakely (by Tipton), Blakely (by Anderson).

T--2:53. A--1,541 (turnstile), 3,220 (tickets issued).