The Western Athletic Conference gave the Pitcher of the Week award to San Jose State's Ryan Shopshire.

It's not to say it wasn't deserved, being that he held a team that had just cracked 38 hits over two previous games to four in a 4-0 win against Hawai'i in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday.

But that's a small consolation compared to the Rainbows' reward: Taking three of four from the Spartans.

For the WAC and its four-game series, doubleheader included, it's survival of the fittest. The Rainbows didn't look so fit two weekends ago after getting swept at Sacramento State. They looked it over the weekend at San Jose State.

"That's all it is with these four-game series, especially when you get that second game (of doubleheaders) Saturday and the Sunday after the doubleheader," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "It's all about being tough and being conditioned. I'm not saying San Jose wasn't tough or conditioned, I'm just saying that's who's going to end up winning these games because they're a grind. These four-game series are awful and you gotta grind it out."

Picking up the Rainbows big time in the series was their bullpen. In 19 innings, six different relievers allowed just three earned runs, picked up two wins and one save.

It began with the series opener that went 15 innings. Trapasso went all in with his top two relievers in Jayson Kramer and Matt Daly, who pitched 4 1/3 and four innings, respectively. They kept the Rainbows in the game for what amounted to nearly the length of a regulation nine-inning game. They pitched well and long enough for the offense to score four in the top of the 15th to win it. Basically, it was as if both had made a start. They were done for the weekend.

With two games the next day with Kramer and Daly essentially spectators, freshman starter Josh Slaats labored in the fourth after three scoreless innings. But Cory Kahn came in with 4 1/3 innings of relief, allowing one run. Cameron Wheeler finished it with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Then in Sunday's game that determined if the Rainbows were coming home with a series win or split, freshman starter Alex Capaul got his first collegiate win with four scoreless innings of relief.

Although Trapasso had Daly and Kramer tossing in the bullpen in case they were needed for a batter or two, Schneider's ability to wrap the game up himself saved the two from being used.

As the Rainbows patiently await the development of their freshmen starters, the veterans of the bullpen — Kahn, Schneider and Wheeler are seniors and Kramer and Daly are juniors — will need to deliver those kinds of performances the rest of the way.

There are no midweek games for the Rainbows (13-20 overall, 5-7 WAC), but it is still a quick turnaround, as they resume WAC play Thursday against New Mexico State (14-16, 4-4).

The Aggies, however, do have a midweek game. They will play Hawai'i Pacific, 6 p.m. tomorrow at Hans L'Orange Park.

The Sea Warriors (26-14-1) won 3 of 5 from Division I UH-Hilo over the weekend. Junior college transfer Aaron Asher leads HPU with eight home runs and 36 RBI.