IRVINE, Calif. --- The Anteaters and Rainbow Warriors jabbed at each other throughout the game, but Hawai'i found the deciding run in the seventh inning to take the conference opener, 4-3, Thursday night at Anteater Ballpark.

Hawai'i (15-8, 1-0) was powered by sophomore Logan Pouelsen who clubbed three extra-base hits with two doubles and a triple on the offensive end. He came around after his triple to score the game's go-ahead run on an RBI single from Kekai RIos in the seventh. Pouelsen then matched his offensive performance on the mound not allowing a baserunner in his three innings of relief work striking out two and taking home the victory to run his record to 3-1.

Pouelsen, starter Jackson Rees, and closer Dylan Thomas, who sewed up his seventh save of the season, baffled the Anteaters (13-11, 0-1) allowing just four hits in the whole game. Rees was working on a two-hitter before the 'Eaters strung together a rally in the fifth.

With UCI trailing 3-0 and one out, Jake Palmer scorched his second hit of the game into the LF corner scoring UCI's first run. The 'Eaters inched closer with a Brendan Brooks sac fly, and then tied it on a wild pitch coming back to even the game, 3-3, after five innings.

Both starters piled up the pitches early with neither getting into the sixth innings as each through over 96 pitches.

Hawai'i pelted the 'Eaters to death with 14 hits and a hit from every starter on the night. Tyler Murray broke the scoreless tie in the fourth with a two-out, two-strike solo HR to left. Eric Ramirez added to the lead with another two-out knock doubling into the LF corner and scoring two.

Palmer carried the 'Eaters with a two-hit night scoring a run and driving one in. Adrian Damla, as a pinch-hitter, scored and had one of the other hits, and Nick Anderson's blooper accounted for the fourth as UCI struggled to find a rhythm.

The loss drops the Anteaters to 0-1 in Big West play from Thursday's opener. Hawai'i continues to lead all Big West teams with its 15-8 record, and for the first time ever won a game at UC Irvine after being unsuccessful in its first 13 attempts.

The series rolls along on Friday, March 30, with another 6:30 p.m. start on ESPN3 as fellow first-year pitchers Taylor Rashi and Cade Smith square off.