Matt Inouye completed a 5-for-5 performance with a bases-loaded, ground single up the middle to drive in the winning run with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead Hawai'i over UC Irvine, 4-3, last night.

"You have to love the situation you're in," Inouye said. "When you get the opportunity, make the most of it."

A Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 1,430 watched the Anteaters (3-2) score twice in the top of the eighth to tie the game at 3, only to have the Rainbows (4-1) take the game in the bottom of the ninth.

Darrell Fisherbaugh (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief, allowing only a walk with three strikeouts. He had a good feeling in the bottom of the ninth.

"We pretty much knew we were going to score in the ninth with that intensity," Fisherbaugh said.

Derek DuPree, who was 0 for 4, led off the ninth with a ground a single up the middle against UCI reliever Dylan Axelrod (0-1). DuPree reached second when Jon Hee reached first on a sacrifice that catcher Aaron Lowenstein bobbled in front of the plate. Justin Frash sacrificed the runners and Luis Avila was intentionally walked to load the bases to set up force plays all around.

The Anteaters brought in their closer, Blair Erickson, to face Inouye, already 4 for 4 with an RBI and double. With the infield drawn in, Inouye grounded a slider over second base to score DuPree with the winning run.

DuPree,who had struck out twice before his hit, just wanted to avoid the hat trick. All he could think was "not strike out three times, basically," he said.

"It was a pretty good inning," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "A struggling Derek DuPree gets the first hit to get it started. It says a lot about him, what's inside him. Then Matty just had to move the ball somewhere. He did a great job."

The Rainbows held a 3-1 lead entering the eighth. Tyler Davis started the frame for starter Steven Wright, who gave up a run, two hits and four walks in seven innings, throwing 98 pitches. But Chad Lundahl reached on a single to second, and took second on Danny McCarthy's single to right. After Spike McDougall pinch ran for McCarthy, Davis balked on an 0-1 pitch, moving the runners in scoring position. Taylor Holiday grounded a single to the hole at short that shortstop Spiers stopped, but couldn't make a play on, allowing Lundahl to score and McDougall to take third. Trapasso then brought in Fisherbaugh, who got Ben Orloff to hit a grounder to Spiers for a double play, as McDougall crossed the plate with the tying run. Fisherbaugh then struck out Zach Robinson to end the inning.

The Rainbows scored two runs off starter Justin Cassel in the first on wild pitches. An RBI single in the third by Inouye gave UH a 3-0 lead.

The Anteaters made it 3-1 in the fourth. Holiday led off with a double to left-center, and took third on Orloff's sacrifice before Robinson walked. Cody Cipriano struck out on a full count and Holiday scored on a delayed double steal. Brock Bardeen flied out to left to end the inning.

Wright was masterful against UCI his first time around, retiring all but Bryan Peterson, who singled in the second with two outs, but was caught trying to steal second. Wright got ahead on the first nine batters he faced, but struggled from the fourth inning, when he fell behind in counts on six of the last 14 batters he faced.

"I was just getting too ahead of myself," Wright explained. "I was rushing."

"But he battled for us," Trapasso said. "He goes seven innings, one run, 98 pitches. We'll take that every time."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.