No. 20 Hawai'i need not despair.

The last time the Rainbows were on the lopsided end of a non-conference midweek game, they went on to sweep a conference series.

Yesterday, No. 3 Arizona State had two late seven-run innings in a 17-2 romp of Hawai'i at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark in Tempe, Ariz.

In 2006, San Francisco beat UH, 15-1. The Rainbows went on to sweep a three-game Western Athletic Conference series at San Jose State.

The Rainbows (24-14) move on to New Mexico State for a crucial WAC series starting Friday.

Hawai'i actually led 1-0 yesterday because starter Connor Little tossed three perfect innings before giving way to the bullpen. A fourth-inning RBI double by Kevin Macdonald was the only run ASU starter Jordan Swagerty (1-1) allowed in seven innings. He gave up five hits and struck out six.

The Sun Devils (29-8) had a three-run fifth, cashing in two walks issued by Alex Capaul (1-2). Zach MacPhee singled off Harrison Kuroda, whose pick-off throwing error to first, allowed MacPhee to take third. He then scored on Drew Maggi's sacrifice fly to center.

The Sun Devils then sent 11 batters to the plate in each of their seven-run seventh and eighth innings.

Josh Slaats allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning and Lenny Linsky gave up four in his two-thirds. Alex Myers gave up seven runs in the eighth.

In all, UH used seven relief pitchers.

Hawai'i got one back in the ninth, when Kolten Wong doubled and eventually scored on a single by Greg Garcia off Jeeter Ishida (Punahou '08), who faced the last three batters of the game to get the final out.

The Sun Devils amassed 13 hits, including four homers, three triples and two doubles.

Wong, Garcia and Ryan Morford each had two hits for the Rainbows, who had nine hits.

Friday's series opener at NMSU starts at 2:05 p.m. HST. The game will on ESPN 1420 AM with a radio feed from a New Mexico State broadcast.