Austin Teixeira and Cade Halemanu collaborated on a six-hit shutout in the opener and shortstop Kole Kaler hit for the cycle to help Hawaii complete a doubleheader sweep of UC Riverside, 7-0 and 13-4.

The Rainbow Warriors won the first three of this four-game series at The Plex in Riverside, Calif., to improve to 15-10 overall and 7-8 in the Big West. The series finale is today, with the first pitch at 10 a.m.

“The big thing is getting back to .500 in league,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “I think that would put us in a position to make a run. (Sunday’s) a big day. We’ve already won the series. Our guys aren’t looking at playing with house money. They’re understanding every game has equal weight and value. They need to go out there and get us back to .500.”

Kaler, a fourth-year junior, put the ’Bows at the threshold with the sixth cycle in the program’s history and first since 1996. Kaler singled in UH’s four-run first, tripled in the second, doubled in the fourth, and homered in a five-run fifth. Kaler, who scored four runs, also was beaned in the seventh inning.

“The second pitch (of the fourth at-bat), I’m going to be honest with you, I was trying to hit a homer,” Kaler told reporters in a postgame Zoom interview. “The pitch I actually did hit a home run, I was sticking to the approach, trying to hit a line drive up the middle. I got a good pitch to hit, and it went out of the yard.”

Kaler has thrived in the ’Bows’ reconstructed order. Kaler moved to leadoff, followed by Scotty Scott and Jacob Igawa.

“He’s been our most consistent hitter,” Trapasso said of Kaler. “With his skill set, his ability to run and get on base, I like him in the leadoff spot because it might get him extra at-bats. And what was really interesting was Scotty in the two hole. I really like that. And then Iggy in the three. I like the dynamics of Kole, Scotty, Iggy. I thought it was a good look right out of the gate. I think that sets the tone for us to play really well.”

Scott went 4-for-8 and scored four runs in the doubleheader. Igawa was 3-for-9 with three RBIs.

The ’Bows were able to pull away in the doubleheader’s second game despite starting pitcher Logan Pouelsen’s generosity. Pouelsen, who excelled in relief a week ago to earn a spot back in the starting rotation, allowed six hits, two walks and two runs in three innings. “I love Logan to death, but we spot him a four-run lead, and he’s not attacking,” Trapasso said.

Jake Hymel pitched five innings, allowing two hits and striking out four, and Dalton Renne threw a scoreless ninth inning.

In the opener, Teixeira was dominant in the first two innings, then escaped a jam in the third. With the bases filled with Highlanders, Travis Bohall hit a line shot toward the six hole. Third baseman Matt Campos made the catch, then fired across the infield to double off Mason Grace, who drifted too far off first base. In six scoreless innings, Teixeira allowed five hits and walked two to improve to 3-0.

“I feel like pounding the zone consistently was what helped me out,” Teixeira texted. “The times I got in trouble was when I was pecking at the corners instead of forcing them to swing. The innings were much smoother when I trusted my defense and let them do the job.… And I was able to battle back through all the tough situations by just throwing as much strikes as possible and letting them hit it on the ground.”

Eleven of Teixeira’s 18 outs were recorded in the infield.

Halemanu allowed one hit in three innings to close out the opener. It was Halemanu’s first relief appearance after six starts this year.

“I thought it was a great day for Cade Halemanu,” Trapasso said. “I thought he was as good as he’s been all year. He was aggressive. He was down in the zone. He was pitching with some fire. It was fun to see.”