Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso got mad, then his baseball team got even.

After Trapasso’s paint-peeling speech following a 4-3 loss in the early game, the ’Bows surged to an 8-3 victory over Brigham Young to split Saturday’s doubleheader and this four-game series at Les Murakami Stadium.

“I was disgusted by the way we played that first game,” Trapasso said, noting the ’Bows stranded 11 runners, including seven in scoring position. “I didn’t like our energy. I didn’t like our body language. I didn’t like our toughness. In between games, I let our guys know it in ways that I normally do not, except maybe every three, four, five years. ‘I care’ language was not used. I don’t think I’ve been that upset like that in a long time. We’re better than the toughness and energy we showed.”

The ’Bows responded in the second game behind Logan Pouelsen, who was effective in a pitching comeback that was three years in the making, and an eight-hit offense that received an early spark from second baseman Troy Kakugawa’s inside-the-park homer.

“That second game was good baseball on our part,” Trapasso said. “We got two-out hits. We got hits with runners in scoring position. It started on the mound with Logan.”

Pouelsen was throwing 95 mph fastballs and headed for UCLA when he suffered an injury to his right (pitching) elbow that required Tommy John surgery prior to his senior season at Huntington Beach (Calif.) High. Last season, his first at UH, he was used exclusively as a first baseman and designated hitter. A week ago, Pouelsen, who had difficulty planting his left cleat on a rain-soaked mound, gave up four runs to Air Force in the first inning. But the game was canceled shortly after because of heavy rain, and the statistics did not count.

“Thank God it didn’t rain (on Saturday),” Pouelsen said. “I woke up this morning, and there was water on the ground. But the weather cleared up a little bit. It felt good out there.”

With a fastball topping in the low 90s and a change-up as a secondary pitch, Pouelsen allowed three hits and struck out four in six innings. He retired six batters in a row before exiting with a 3-1 lead. Pouelsen threw strikes on 60 of 87 pitches.

“It was good to be back on the mound,” Pouelsen said.

Kakugawa also felt at ease in his first game of the season. With tough left-hander Kenny Saenz starting the second game for BYU, Trapasso opted to start the right-hand-hitting Kakugawa in place of lefty-swinging Dustin Demeter at second.

In the bottom of the second in a scoreless game, Kakugawa hit a drive that went over Brock Hale and struck the wall in right field. The carom went past Hale as Kakugawa made the turn at second.

“Once it hit the wall, I knew I had to turn on the burners and get it going,” Kakugawa said. “Once I went around second, I saw Frat (third-base coach Carl Fraticelli) and he was waving me home. I had to push through that.”

It was UH’s first inside-the-park homer since Greg Garcia’s in 2010 — and the second of Kakugawa’s collegiate career. He hit one when he played for Puget Sound two years ago.

“Can’t hit it out,” Kakugawa said, smiling. “I can hit it off the wall.”

Tyler Murray, catching in place of ailing Kekai Rios, had two hits and scored three runs for the ’Bows. UH shortstop Maaki Yamazaki drove in three runs in the second game.

The ’Bows missed a chance to win Saturday’s opener when Chayce Ka‘aua grounded out with the potential tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position with two outs in the ninth.

“We had four dogfights,” Trapasso said of the series. “The last one, we were finally able to separate and play well.”