One of those old-fashioned rock’em sock’em, backyard brawl, end-of-the-series college baseball games broke out Sunday at Murakami Stadium. It was the kind you saw a lot more often when the balls and the bats weren’t so pitcher-friendly.

Very entertaining for fans who like scoring … unless it’s the guys you’re not rooting for putting up the bigger crooked numbers.

UC Irvine beat Hawaii 15-8 to complete a series sweep. But as strange as it may sound, UH was in this game late. No lead is safe in gorilla ball, and the Anteaters’ margin was down to two runs after eight innings on a windy day when two runs in one inning was definitely a doable task.

But that top of the ninth was disastrous for the Rainbow Warriors. Even on the most hittercentric days you have to get the ball over the plate and take your chances.

It was easy to see why Hawaii lost this game. You allow nine walks, you don’t deserve to win.

"There’s never an excuse to not throw strikes," coach Mike Trapasso said.

It was just one game of 24 in UH’s Big West season. But yes, believe it, this one was bigger than many of the others. Win it and you not only salvage dignity, you regain confidence headed into this week’s series with Cal Poly, which is 26-5. In case you haven’t noticed, this conference is a meat grinder. Now you’re 2-4, and in danger of being turned into hamburger by the team tied atop the standings with the one that just beat you.

If the Rainbow Warriors had completed Sunday’s comeback after trailing 7-0 and 10-4 it could’ve been the biggest win of the season, a potential catalyst to a long hot streak.

Now UH has to be concerned about Jarrett Arakawa, and hope that the soreness that forced the lefty out of Sunday’s game in the first inning is just part of a two-steps-forward, one-step-back pattern consistent with shoulder injuries like the one from which he is returning after surgery.

"The inclination is to skip him next week," Trapasso said after Sunday’s game.

Even with Scott Kuzminsky available to start in his absence, this team needs Arakawa to compete and win in the Big West — especially if fellow lefty Scott Squier doesn’t regain his command.

Trapasso said it was a very frustrating game. All losses are, but you know why this was more than usual: If you’ve got Arakawa starting and you get eight runs, you’re always going to win … that is, unless Arakawa is hurt and doesn’t last one inning.

It did give another lefty coming back from injury, Quinton Torres-Costa, a chance to stretch to a 50-pitch appearance. That’s a good thing for the long run, but this team is at the point where for this season it’s more about effectiveness and winning now.

That brings us to L.J. Brewster, and the weekend’s revelation that the former starting third baseman with the .108 batting average possesses a wicked drop-off-the-table curve to go with some decent heat. He struck out the side in the ninth inning of Friday’s 7-1 loss and added 11⁄3 scoreless with two K’s on Sunday.

"We’ve had him throwing bullpens and simulated games for about three weeks," Trapasso said. "Didn’t really want his first appearance to be in a tight game, so Friday was the best time. Have no problem putting him in a tight game from this point on though. He showed he can handle it."

If the Rainbows have any more secret weapons now is the time to bus’ ’em out with another Big West power headed to town.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. Read his blog at staradvertiser.com/quickreads.