The first Big West win over UC Irvine wasn’t good enough for Hawaii.

The Rainbow Warriors turned a single-game win into a series victory Saturday night, scoring all but one run with two outs in an 8-5 victory over the Anteaters.

Chayce Ka‘aua doubled home two runs in the bottom of the seventh for Hawaii (13-14, 2-0) after UC Irvine (15-9, 0-2) had scored three times in the top of the frame to make it a one-run game.

Kekai Rios, who finished 3-for-4 with a double, singled home Ka‘aua for a four-run lead to clinch the series before a Les Murakami Stadium crowd of 2,750.

“You can’t be happy with one win,” Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. “It has all come down to these last two nights being fearless at the plate and when we score runs with the way our pitchers throw strikes, it gives us a chance.”

Rios had the third three-hit game of his freshman season and Johnny Weeks went 2-for-3 with a two-run single in the second inning.

UH staked starter Kyle Von Ruden to a 5-0 lead after two innings and Von Ruden (4-1) picked up his third consecutive win.

He didn’t walk a batter for the fifth time in his last six starts and allowed four runs — three earned — on six hits in seven innings to earn the victory.

“We’ve started off hot (at the plate) and it’s been a while since we’ve done that,” Von Ruden said. “Conference is where it matters. We’re shutting the door on games now too, and the offense has really shown up.”

Hawaii finished with 14 hits to post its third straight game with at least 10.

All nine starters had at least one hit, with the big ones coming in the seventh.

After UCI rallied for three runs off Von Ruden to make it 5-4, UH had runners at the corners with two outs for Ka‘aua.

Starting at designated hitter for the fourth straight game, Ka‘aua worked an eight-pitch at-bat against UCI reliever Alonzo Garcia before dropping a double inside the left-field line to drive in two key runs.

“Once I got two strikes I told myself I’m not getting beat. I’m going to swing, and if I get beat, I’m going out swinging,” Ka‘aua said. “He threw some really good pitches on the inside that I fouled off and then he threw me a changeup that I just got enough of.”

Cody Culp allowed one run over the final two innings to finish off Hawaii’s seventh win in its last nine games.

UH hit .455 (5-for-11) in the game with two outs.

“I think we’ve all just got a little faith in each other from top to bottom knowing the next guy is going to pick you up if you don’t do the job,” said Weeks, whose single in the second put UH ahead 5-1. “We’ve been starting to find holes with two outs and runners on.”

UH got off to a fast start again, leading 3-0 after the first inning for the second straight game.

RBI singles by Eric Ramirez and Marcus Doi sandwiched a balk by UCI starter Shaun Vetrovec that forced in a run.

Hawaii got the leadoff runner on base in every inning against Vetrovec (2-3), who lasted just four innings and gave up seven hits to take the loss.

UCI’s first run against Von Ruden came in the second inning when Mitchell Holland reached on a throwing error by Josh Rojas at short.

Holland reached third with nobody out and Von Ruden nearly got out of it but gave up a two-out single to Grant Palmer.

The Anteaters finally scored an earned run in the seventh inning when the first three batters singled in a span of five pitches.

Pinch hitters Cameron Bishop, who is expected to start on the mound for UCI today, and Wyatt Castro brought in runs on groundouts and a wild pitch made it a 5-4 game going to the bottom of the seventh.

“It was an interesting game for (Von Ruden) because honestly, the guy gives us seven innings against maybe the best offensive team in our league and yet I didn’t feel early on he had his best stuff,” Trapasso said. “I thought he was amped and going a little too quick in his delivery and then we slowed his tempo down from the windup and he gave us two to three solid innings before he fatigued.”

BIG WEST BASEBALL

Saturday

Hawaii 8, UC Irvine 5

UC Santa Barbara 3, Long Beach State 1

UC Riverside 8, UC Davis 5

Cal State Fullerton 2, CSUN 1

*San Jose State 8, Cal Poly 5

Today

UC Irvine at Hawaii, 1:05 p.m., Les Murakami Stadium

UC Davis at UC Riverside

CSUN at CS Fullerton

UCSB at Long Beach St.

*San Jose St. at Cal Poly

*-nonconference

Hawaii 8, Uc Irvine 5

E–Kreuter, Rojas. DP–UCI 2. LOB–UCI 6, Hawaii 8. 2B-LoCoco, Ka’aua, Rios. HBP–Alcantara, Doi. SH–Sheldon-Collins. SB–Kreuter, Palmer, Fitchett. CS–Alcantara.

WP-Vetrovec, Glazier, Von Ruden 2. HBP–by Von Ruden (Alcantara), by Garcia (Doi). BK–Vetrovec, Garcia.

Umpires–(Plate): Darren Hyman. (First): Greg Charles. (Third): Billy Haze. T–2:54. A–2,750.