RUSTON, La. — In what's become a recurring theme since midway through the season, Hawai'i players picked up for one another in taking down Nevada, 14-5, last night to stay in the winners' bracket of the Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament.

The Rainbows (29-29), at .500 for the first time since March 1 after a loss to nationally ranked Michigan, got a season-high 7 1/3 innings from Josh Schneider during a time their pitching staff has been hurting. And on a warm night at JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park when Schneider admittedly didn't have his best stuff, his offense supported him with 22 hits and a barrage of runs early and often.

The second-seeded Rainbows will take on two-time defending tournament champion and top-seeded Fresno State (35-27) at 6 a.m. Hawai'i time in a battle of the only unbeatens left in the six-team, double-elimination tournament that saw fourth-seeded San Jose State and fifth-seeded New Mexico State pack their bags yesterday. If UH wins, it advances to the tournament championship at 7 a.m. Hawai'i time tomorrow. If UH loses, it returns today to play the winner of the elimination game between Nevada (32-25) and Sacramento State (24-33).

Hawai'i, which won a coin toss to be the designated home team yesterday, wasted little time getting on the board, jumping on Nevada starter Kyle Howe (8-3), an all-WAC first-team selection, for six runs in the first two innings. That was just the start for the UH offense, which tagged reliever Derek Achelpohl for five more runs in next two innings.

The outburst certainly eased Schneider (6-2), who allowed five runs, 12 hits and two walks with three strikeouts, lasting into the eighth inning. Cory Kahn finished the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings. That helped a UH pitching staff that is without ace Jared Alexander (elbow), Alex Bates (elbow) and Alex Capaul (elbow and jaw).

"I felt I wanted to step up," Schneider said. "But it's not about just me pitching a little bit longer. Our offense was absolutely incredible today. Going out on that mound with a seven-, eight-run lead, I just tried to throw strikes."

Schneider said no particular pitch was really working to his liking. But he took advantage of the big lead by just putting the ball over the plate to force contact and let the defense — the best in the WAC entering the tournament with a .974 fielding percentage — take care of the rest.

"You don't have to be as fine," Schneider said. "You can be a little bit more relaxed on the hill."

Hawai'i coach Mike Trapasso was pleased with both Schneider's performance and that of his hitters. Jeff Van Doornum batted 3 for 5, including two home runs, with five RBIs, and Brandon Haislet batted 4 for 6, including a home run, and three RBIs.

"When you come out of the gate and are able to put up six unanswered, and every time they put up a run, we answered, it makes you feel good," Trapasso said. "But I don't think you can overlook what Josh Schneider did today, getting us to the eighth.

"And when they scored in the third and fourth, for him to come back with three zeros, for all intents and purposes, put the game away."

The Rainbows, the lowest-scoring team among WAC teams averaging 5.4 runs during the regular season, are the only team to score double digits in both of their tournament games. They sent eight batters to the plate in a first inning that was highlighted by Van Doornum's three-run home run to right-center. They then ushered Howe out of the game in the second when a wild pitch scored one run and Haislet's two-run homer made it 6-0.

"It felt good today at the plate," Van Doornum said. "Got some balls up in the zone. The result is we won the game, so I'm happy."

Nevada got one back in the third on Terry Walsh's RBI single, but UH banged back with two in the bottom of the third because of a throwing error by all-WAC third baseman Jason Rodriguez and an RBI single by Matt Roquemore to make it 8-1.

The Wolf Pack got two in the fourth to pull within 8-3, only to see the Rainbows put three more on the board in the bottom of the fourth on Van Doornum's second home run and Derek DuPree's two-run single that made it 11-3.

The Rainbows toyed with chances to end the game earlier with the 10-run differential rule. They started the seventh with Jon Hee leading off with a single and taking third on Haislet's double. But UH only got one run to make it 12-3 when Van Doornum grounded out to second.

Nevada scored two in the eighth to make it 12-5, but UH countered with two in the bottom half on an RBI double by Hee and an RBI single by Haislet. Haislet's hit put runners at the corners with one out. But Hee, representing the 10-run differential, was gunned down at the plate when Van Doornum hit into a fielder's choice grounder to first. Kevin Macdonald flied out to right to end the threat.

Another recurring theme of late is who will be the starting pitcher. Trapasso said Matt Daly and Josh Slaats are being considered. The Rainbows split their four-game season series with Fresno State in March at Les Murakami Stadium. After losing the first two games, FSU won the last two, ironically, beating Slaats in one and the other in which Daly ended up with a no-decision.

But Slaats' outing against FSU was his most effective of his seven starts this season. He went 7 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, four hits and four walks with two strikeouts. Daly went 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, four hits and five walks with eight strikeouts against the Bulldogs.

FRESNO STATE 7, SAN JOSE STATE 3

WAC Player of the Year Steve Susdorf batted 3 for 5 with four RBIs for the top-seeded Bulldogs (35-27).

Susdorf hit his 10th homer of the season in supporting Clayton Allison's six strong innings. Allison (2-5) allowed three runs, seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

David Berner (3-8) allowed three runs in one innings for the fourth-seeded Spartans (31-25).

SACRAMENTO STATE 8, NEW MEXICO STATE 5

David Flores and Gabe Jacobo each homered to help the sixth-seeded Hornets (24-33) oust the Aggies (28-33).