RUSTON, La. — Nick Rhodes literally weathered a storm to help Hawai'i outlast New Mexico State, 11-7, last night in the opening round of the Western Athletic Conference double-elimination baseball tournament at JC Love Field in Pat Patterson Park.

The senior left-hander was able to maintain his effectiveness after a 1-hour, 41-minute weather delay during the bottom of the fourth inning. He went seven innings, allowing a run, six hits and two walks with six strikeouts for the Rainbows (28-29), who play Nevada at 2 p.m. Hawai'i time today. Nevada beat San Jose State, 11-0, in seven innings.

Rhodes departed leading 10-1 and watched the bullpen turn a blowout into an adventure when the Aggies (28-32) sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run eighth to pull to 10-7.

"It was huge for him to come back with a couple of zeros and, frankly, I should've sent him out (in the eighth)," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He was at 98 pitches. With an hour-and-a-half layoff, I didn't want to risk it any more. We had a nine-run lead. The reality is I probably should've sent him back out there because I knew he would've thrown strikes."

The Aggies, who play Sacramento State today in the first elimination game of the six-team tournament, didn't feel the delay had any bearing on their starting pitcher Heath Goin (6-3), who had beaten the Rainbows twice this season. Unlike Rhodes, Goin did not return from the delay, which came with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. The Rainbows had scored twice to take a 3-1 lead, and Brandon Haislet was at the plate with an 0-1 count.

That's when a gust of wind uprooted a tent that blew over the seats above the first-base dugout occupied by NMSU. Home plate umpire Chad McCardell waved the players off the field. Even though it was not raining at the time, an anticipated storm was approaching. A combination of wind, rain and lightning forced the delay.

Aggies coach Rocky Ward said Goin was unable to return because of tightness in his shoulder, which had been a problem with Goin since Wednesday. What apparently frustrated Ward was watching his team get nickel-and-dimed to death.

"I don't think it impacted a thing," Ward said of the delay. "What impacted it is we come back from the rain delay and Haislet hits one off the end of the bat and squirts it past the first baseman. What can you say about that in baseball? Maybe we're so used to hitting the ball so hard that it's really frustrating when an opponent scores when they don't hit a ball, or do much to get (the run)."

The right-handed hitting Haislet hit Matt Van Deelen's first offering and the ball seemed to take forever to get past first baseman Chris Auten, who had moved toward second because of a pronounced infield shift to protect the middle. The hit scored Matt Roquemore from second to make it 4-1.

But that wasn't all that frustrated Ward. Still down by three in the top of the seventh against Rhodes, Marcus Quade led off with a single, but was thrown out trying to score on Colin Crouthamel's double to left. And even though Rhodes later walked a batter in the inning, he escaped unscathed.

"No disrespect to Hawai'i for what they did, but the rain delay didn't hurt us," Ward said. "The cue shot impacted us. A couple innings later, we had a guy thrown out at the plate. It was the same deal, baseball luck. The left fielder bobbled the ball, but the ball came up to his glove, then (shortstop Jon) Hee made a great relay getting it. But there was no reason (for us) to take that risk."

Although the Aggies must fight out of the losers' bracket, Ward is still hopeful.

"I thought there was an awful lot of baseball luck that went against us today and you can't do much about it. Maybe we used up all the bad stuff and we have the good stuff coming," he said with a smile.

Rhodes, meanwhile, took the delay in stride. He said he just rested in the dugout and kept himself hydrated on a humid and overcast day.

"I felt loose," Rhodes said after the delay. "When Coach asked how I felt, I said, 'I'm ready to go.' "

Rhodes said he had good movement on his pitches and was fortunate that the umpire called a high strike zone.

After Joseph Scaperotta gave NMSU a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, UH tied it in the bottom of the frame on Haislet's RBI single.

The Rainbows took the lead in the fifth on Roquemore's RBI single, Hee's sacrifice fly and Haislet's RBI double after the delay.

The Rainbows appeared to break it open when they sent 10 batters to the plate in a six-run seventh that included a two-run single by Jeff Van Doornum, an RBI ground out by Kevin Macdonald, a two-run home run to center by Vinnie Catricalla and a solo shot to right by Derek DuPree. DuPree's second career home run gave UH a 10-1 lead.

The Aggies made it a game again with their six-run eighth against UH relievers Sam Spangler and Cameron Wheeler, who combined to allow six runs on six hits — including a pinch-hit grand slam by Leo Aguirre — and three walks. Even Matt Daly labored a bit, allowing an RBI single and a walk before getting the final out of the eighth.

Hawai'i padded its lead with a run in the eighth after Haislet was hit by a pitch with two outs, stole second and scored on Van Doornum's double.

Daly then stranded two runners to finish off the ninth.

"We can't win this thing with Spangler, Wheeler walking guys like this," Trapasso said. "They ended up making us have to use Daly and now he's probably out of the equation to start (today). I was thinking about it (starting Daly), depending on who we would play.

"The one thing you can do is throw strikes," he added. "That's something we've always prided ourselves on. This late in the year, these guys gotta be throwing strikes and stepping up for us."

Trapasso said he may start Josh Schneider today, and also expects to liberally use his bullpen.

"Most of our normal rules during the course of the year — 30 pitches and the guy has to take a day off — those are out the window," Trapasso said. "We're definitely a little different in how we approach things because we're going to have to have certain guys come back on back-to-back days. Rhodesy might have to come back and pitch for us on Sunday, if we get that far."

Although the bullpen labored, it usually recovers from such outings, Rhodes said.

"I know our guys will come back," he said.

NEVADA 11, SAN JOSE STATE 0

Rod Scurry fired a three-hitter and Tom Jaquez hit three home runs to lead the second-seeded Wolf Pack into today's second-round winners' bracket game.

The game was called after seven innings because of the 10-run differential mercy rule.

Scurry (6-7) walked one and struck out three. Max Peterson (5-6) gave up seven runs in five innings for the Spartans (31-24), who will play top-seeded Fresno State today.

Jaquez was the only Wolf Pack to record multiple hits. He had five RBIs.

FRESNO STATE 3, SACRAMENTO STATE 2

Ryan Overland's two-run double in the fourth supported the strong pitching of Justin Wilson in Game 1 of the tournament yesterday.

Wilson (6-4) allowed two runs (one earned), five hits and four walks with two strikeouts for the top-seeded Bulldogs (34-27), who play San Jose State. Holden Sprague went two-thirds of an inning and Kris Tomlinson went one-third to take care of the eighth inning. Brandon Burke notched his eighth save with a perfect ninth that ended with left fielder Steve Susdorf hauling in a deep drive by Taylor Watanabe ('Aiea 2003).

Watanabe went 1 for 5 for the Hornets (23-33), who play New Mexico State in an elimination game today.

Trevor York (4-6) allowed all three runs on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts for the sixth-seeded Hornets.