Hawaii put itself in position for some late-game heroics, but couldn't get that clutch hit it desperately needed.

Scott DeLoach drove in two runs and three Mississippi State pitchers held Hawaii to four hits as the Bulldogs took the opener of a four-game series against the Rainbows 3-1 last night in front of a Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 999.

Shane Hoey smacked his first career home run for the 'Bows (3-6), who put the tying run on first base with nobody out in the ninth inning.

Hawaii trailed by two when Greg Garcia walked and Vinnie Catricala pushed a single through the right side of the infield to put men on first and second. Chad Crosswhite replaced reliever Greg Houston and struck out Jeff Van Doornum trying to bunt. Kevin Macdonald then walked to load the bases before Christian Johnson grounded into a double play to end it, giving Crosswhite his third save of the season.

“;You've got to score to win,”; said Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso, whose team is hitting .222 for the season. “;You've got to win as a team. Pitching is doing well, but the hitting isn't doing well and we need to find a way to get some hits.”;

Jayson Kramer took another tough loss for the 'Bows, dropping to 1-2 for the season despite lasting a career-high eight innings. He allowed two runs on six hits while striking out two and walking two.

“;We're able to keep with these good teams inning after inning, but we just falter that one inning and they capitalize,”; Kramer said.

Hoey broke a scoreless tie by taking the first pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning deep over the 385-foot sign in center.

That's all the Rainbows mustered off starter Tyler Whitney, who struck out five and walked one on just three hits in 6 2/3 innings. Hoey's homer is the only run Whitney (1-0) has given up in 11 innings this season.

UH's 1-0 lead would be short-lived as the Bulldogs (8-1) answered in the top of the seventh. Ryan Duffy's one-out RBI single scored Connor Powers, who opened with a base hit. DeLoach followed with an RBI single to score Jet Butler, who was hit by a pitch.

“;At that point I was just thinking damage control,”; Kramer said. “;I was thinking keep it down and get me a ground ball.”;

Hawaii's defense came up big just to keep it a one-run game. Johnson's diving catch in right field with nobody out robbed Russ Sneed of an extra-base hit that would have scored a run. Then, with runners on first and third, Garcia snared a ground ball up the middle and turned a double play to get UH out of the inning.

“;In the past we've seen Jayson turn that into a four spot and he hung in there and managed the best he could,”; Trapasso said.

The Rainbows put the tying run in scoring position with one out in the eighth. Landon Hernandez was hit by a pitch from Houston and went to second on a bunt by Hoey. Ryan Morford and Kolten Wong came up with chances to tie the game, but both struck out to end the inning.

Harrison Kuroda came on for Kramer in the ninth and immediately pitched himself into trouble, allowing a single and a walk to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Cody Freeman, Kuroda intentionally walked Justin Bussey to load the bases for DeLoach. DeLoach lined the first pitch from Kramer to center for an out, but Powers tagged up and scored a key insurance run to make it 3-1.

The four-game series continues today at 6:35 p.m. Nate Klein (0-1, 4.85 ERA) will start for the 'Bows against MSU's Nick Routt (2-0, 0.64 ERA).