The University of Hawaii baseball team went with the odds and hunches for a 5-4 victory over San Jose State at Les Murakami Stadium.

A Saturday crowd of 2,326 watched the ’Bows weather a ninth-inning rally to win the first three games of this four-game, nonconference series. In improving to 14-8, the ’Bows will enter Big West play in two weeks with a winning record. They play at 1:05 p.m. today and then a four-game series against Nevada this coming week.

Dominic DeMiero, who improved to 4-1, exited at the end of eight innings with what appeared to be a comfortable 5-2 lead. But the Spartans scored two runs and placed runners at the corners against reliever Casey Ryan in the ninth.

UH coach Mike Trapasso said it would be a concern if UH were “walking guys and making errors. When you keep pounding the (strike) zone and getting grounders that keep finding the hole, you feel ground balls are eventually going to go to your guys. I feel sorry for Casey. He did nothing but pound the zone and they did nothing but get ground balls.”

Trapasso summoned Dylan Thomas, who had not pitched in 10 days after suffering a back issue. “I didn’t want to bring him in the next time out in a close game, but I didn’t have a choice,” Trapasso said. “He said he felt great and his slider was really good. His slider to right-handers is pretty tough.”

Thomas — on a slider — induced pinch hitter Kyle Blakeman to ground out to third for the final out.

The ’Bows appeared to break away with a three-run seventh to take a 5-2 lead.

Jacob Sniffin walked on four pitches, then advanced when catcher Joseph Stefanki fielded Dustin Demeter’s bunt but could not throw cleanly to second. With the infield moving up in anticipation of a bunt, Dustin Demeter slapped a double to right center, scoring Sniffin for a 3-2 lead.

“The hitters understand when you have a bunt (situation) if you read crash, then you slash,” Trapasso said. “They put a wheel play on that left the middle open.”

Vchulek showed bunt, then pulled back and slapped at the fastball.

“In that situation, I should be bunting,” Vchulek said. “Trap has confidence in me to swing and, man, it felt good. That was a good feeling.”

Johnny Weeks then walked to load the bases. Demeter scored on Kekai Rios’ single to right and, later, Vchulek scored on Adam Fogel’s sacrifice fly to right. Vchulek barely beat the throw from right-fielder Chris Williams, who was a two-year starting quarterback for national power De La Salle High.

“I’d like to think speed wins,” Vchulek said. “I’m going to challenge any outfielder with arm strength in that situation. Coaches had faith in me. They told me prior to the play, ‘Go. You’re gonna score there.’ Man, it was bang-bang. He’s got a good arm. I can see the quarterback.”

The ’Bows found a minimalist way to tie the score at 2 in the sixth. Rios reached when he was hit by a Brown pitch. Josh Rojas then hit a grounder that ricocheted off Brown and rolled near first. Brown picked up the ball, but his under-handed toss went past first baseman Shane Timmons and into the San Jose State dugout. Rios moved to third and Rojas was awarded second on the error. Rios then came home on Brown’s wild pitch.

The Spartans went ahead, 2-1, in the top of the sixth. Aaron Pleschner doubled to left-center with one out, then went to third on Williams’ groundout to short. Left-handed DeMiero tried to jam catcher Stefanki with an 0-2 pitch. But the ball sailed behind the right-hitting Stefanki to the backstop, enabling Pleschner to scoot home with the go-ahead run. It was DeMiero’s third wild pitch of the season.