Hawai'i scored a seventh-inning record 13 runs and each of its 16 players either scored or drove in a run in a 20-1 rout of Chicago State last night.

The Rainbows (10-6) snapped a three-game skid by pounding out a season-high 18 hits and producing their highest offensive output since a 34-11 win at Air Force in 1999, while the Cougars (0-7) took their worst pounding of the season before 481 at Les Murakami Stadium.

"You take away the one bad inning, you have a fairly close game," reasoned Cougars' second-year coach Vern Hasty.

It was a 7-1 game before the Rainbows sent 19 batters to the plate in the inning against four pitchers, who gave up six hits and eight walks in the frame.

The 13 runs are the most UH has scored in the seventh inning; the overall record is 15 in 1989 against New Mexico.

Hawai'i cleared its bench in the seventh, using seven reserves, all of whom reached safely by either a hit, walk, hit batsman or error.

Ian Harrington (3-3) went seven innings, allowing an unearned run because of his own error that allowed a base runner, six hits and two walks. He struck out eight.

"I didn't have command so that I could throw my pitches where I wanted to," admitted Harrington. "But I was able to get them swinging (for the strikeouts)."

Chicago State starter Chris Freshour (0-3), a graduate of Mid-Pacific Institute, kept the game close for five innings with a long-breaking curveball.

"He was able to keep it low in the beginning, but later when he started to get tired, that's when he left it up," said UH first baseman Kris Sanchez, who doubled off Freshour after striking out and flying out in previous at-bats.

Freshour left after five-plus innings, allowing six runs, nine hits and two walks with a season-high eight strikeouts.

"I credit the warm weather," said Freshour, who added this was his best outing of the season.

Hawai'i took a 2-0 lead on RBI doubles by Brandon Haislet in the first and third innings. The Rainbows made it 4-0 with two runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Justin Frash and Sanchez's RBI double.

The Cougars pulled to 4-1 on Harrington's error in the sixth, but UH came back with three in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles by Jorge Franco and Haislet, and a sacrifice fly by Jon Hee. Sanchez started the inning with a walk, then was pinch-hit for by Nate Young, who batted twice in the inning.

Then came the 13-run seventh in which pinch hitter Vinnie Catricala had four RBIs on a bases-clearing triple and bases-loaded walk.

Hasty admits that a number of his freshmen would probably redshirt at most programs, but are forced into action for the Cougars.

"We'll be all right," he said.

The series continues at 6:35 tonight. Right-hander Cameron Wheeler will make his first start of the season for UH, as will Chicago State's Sean Murphy, a right-hander who started at first base last night.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.