RIVERSIDE, Calif. – With their backs pushed into a corner, the Hawai'i baseball team did not give up, and chipped away at a 5-1 fourth inning deficit to beat UC Riverside 7-5 on Friday night.
 
A big 4-run eighth inning for the Rainbow Warriors (13-10, 5-8 Big West) helped leap back into the lead with the 'Bows doing the damage on just two hits. 

The inning started with third baseman Matt Campos getting hit by a pitch and catcher Tyler Murray working a walk. Murray, the tying run, was pinch run for by freshman Jared Quandt. A sacrifice bunt by second baseman Aaron Ujimori moved Campos and Quandt into scoring position and shortstop Kole Kaler tied the game with a single up the middle.
 
Left fielder Scotty Scott walked and center fielder Adam Fogel gave Hawai'i the lead with a double that one hopped the wall in left center field, bouncing off the top of the wall with about two inches to spare. If the ball had bounced over, Scott would have been placed back at second base, but because the ball stayed in the yard, Scott showed off his speed and scored from first base.
 
Trailing 5-1 after the fourth inning, Hawai'i scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning to make it a 5-3 game with two innings to play.
 
Back-to-back lead off doubles by Kaler and Scott scored the first run and then Scott scored the second run of the inning on two wild pitches by Riverside's starter Jacobs.
 
The six unanswered runs were greatly appreciated by sophomore starting pitcher Aaron Davenport who going into the game had received just two total runs from his offense in his Big West starts this season.
 
Davenport (2-2) ended up earning the win by still being in the game when the Rainbow Warriors took the lead. Davenport gave up five earned runs in the game, but was stellar as the game dragged on, allowing just two base runners after the fourth inning while striking out eight Highlanders in his 7.0 IP.
 
Redshirt freshman Tyler Dyball (1) grinded the six out save.
 
The Rainbow Warriors scored the first run of the game after Kaler reached on an error by UC Riverside's second baseman, moved to third on a Scott single and scored on designated hitter Jacob Igawa's RBI single.
 
Hawai'i had four players with multiple hits, including Igawa's first 3-hit day as a Rainbow Warrior. Two 'Bows also had two-RBI games with Kaler and Fogel plating a pair.
 
The Highlanders (6-14, 4-9 Big West) and Rainbow Warriors face off in a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. HT in Riverside, Calif.