LAS CRUCES, N.M. — An out away from what would have been a devastating sweep, Kevin Macdonald took it upon himself to lead Hawai'i to what coach Mike Trapasso called the Rainbows' most important victory of the season yesterday.

Macdonald's two-out, two-run home run in the ninth inning tied the second game of a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader with New Mexico State at 7, and he started a game-ending double play with runners on first and third in the bottom of the 10th to preserve an 8-7 victory and a split.

The Aggies won the opener, 16-6, with an eight-run eighth inning, and stunned the No. 20 Rainbows with seven runs in the eighth of the second game for a 7-5 lead after being shut out by Hawai'i starter Nate Klein and Connor Little through seven innings.

"It was an unbelievable game, it really was," Trapasso said.

"We still have a ways to go, but I just told our guys that was the biggest win of the year. To have done that, after that first game, and after having given up a seven-run eighth, and win it ... the resiliency of this group never fails to surprise me.

"I've been blessed."

With the split, Hawai'i (26-15, 9-5) remained a half-game ahead of Nevada and is 1 1/2 games ahead of New Mexico State (33-10, 8-7) and San Jose State (29-13, 6-5).

Today's UH starter is anyone's guess, Trapasso said, after scheduled starter Jared Alexander (2-1) was pressed into relief duty in the eighth inning of the second game with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Sean Montplaisir doubled off the right-field fence off Aggies closer Erik Nyquist with one out in the ninth before Macdonald hit a first-pitch fastball over the fence in deep left-center. The Rainbows have 44 homers this season, tied for the second-most in school history.

"Right now, the biggest thing is that we came back and got the win," Macdonald said. "It would have been devastating if we had lost two."

Greg Garcia singled in Jeffrey Van Doornum with one out in the top of the 10th off Jake Wilson (2-2).

The Aggies opened their half of the 10th with successive singles and had runners at first and third after left fielder Montplaisir's long running catch in the left-field corner for the first out.

Leo Aguirre hit a 1-0 one-hopper to first baseman Macdonald, who fired the ball to shortstop Garcia for the second out before taking the return throw at first.

The Aggies hit seven home runs in the opener, which ended in the eighth because of the 10-run rule.