Hawaii’s top relievers provided some temporary relief for the Rainbow Warriors.

A rough four-week skid came to an end Sunday at Les Murakami Stadium as Hawaii swept a doubleheader against UC Riverside to win the series before a crowd of 1,223.

Matt Valencia worked out of a jam in the eighth inning to save a 2-1 victory in the first game and Cody Culp nailed down a three-inning save in a 5-4 victory in the second to give UH a pair of one-run wins.

Hawaii (21-26, 10-11) kept alive its hopes for a second consecutive non-losing season in the Big West improving to 6-10 in one-run games.

Chayce Ka‘aua singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning of the first game and Ethan Lopez went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs in the second game to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.

“It’s big,” Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. “We were able to pitch really well today and we played great defense the entire series.”

UH didn’t make an error in all three games that were decided by one run against the Highlanders (21-27, 8-10).

Lopez made his first two starts of the season in right field in place of Alex Fitchett and increased his season batting average to .313.

He singled home Eric Ramirez in the second inning of the second game to tie it at 1-1 and his RBI double in the sixth scored Hawaii’s third run of the inning to make it a 5-2 affair.

“We hit with runners in scoring position a lot better today which was huge,” Lopez said. “We came through with runners on second and third and that’s what is going to win games for us.”

In the opener, Alex Hatch combined with two relievers to hold the Highlanders to seven hits as Hawaii snapped a three-game losing skid.

Matt LoCoco doubled and scored in the first inning and Kekai Rios led off the seventh with a double to right-center off of UCR starter Richard Delgado (0-7).

Ka‘aua was first-pitch swinging with one out and hit a line drive into left field to plate pinch runner Kobi Candaroma.

Hatch had his best outing in over a month giving up six hits and one run in 62⁄3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.

“I thought Hatch was really good,” Trapasso said. “He’s turned into a bulldog that really battles and (Lawrence) Chew and Valencia were really able to pitch well.”

UCR second baseman Steven Mercado II went 3-for-4 and singled with two outs in the seventh inning to chase Hatch after 100 pitches.

Chew got out of the seventh getting Mark Contreras to fly out to center but allowed a one-out triple to Vince Fernandez in the eighth inning.

Valencia relieved Chew and gave up a walk before getting the final two outs to strand two runners in scoring position.

Valencia issued his second walk to lead off the ninth but got Mercado to ground into a game-ending double play to earn his fourth save.

It was the first win for Hawaii in Big West play scoring less than five runs.

In the second game, junior Brendan Hornung scattered 10 hits over six innings but left after surrendering back-to-back singles to start the seventh.

Culp entered the game with Hawaii leading 5-2 and gave up a base hit to load the bases for Fernandez, who homered twice in the game.

Fernandez hit a line drive into the gap in left-center that was caught on the run by Marcus Doi for a sacrifice fly.

Culp got a strikeout and a fielder’s choice to get out of the inning and picked up his fourth save allowing just the solo homer to Fernandez with two outs in the ninth.

“I thought (Doi’s catch) was the play of the game because to only give up a one-spot in that inning with the bases loaded and nobody out was huge,” Trapasso said.

Josh Rojas drove in Ka‘aua, who hit a one-out double, to tie the game in the fifth inning and Doi singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning.

Rios followed with an RBI single and Lopez doubled in Doi off UCR’s Keaton Leach, who was one of four pitchers the Highlanders used in the inning.

Angel Landazuri (4-5) took the loss for UCR allowing seven hits and three runs in 51⁄3 innings with one walk and two strikeouts.

Hornung (4-7) got his first win since April 1 against UC Irvine.

Hawaii plays its final six games of the season against ranked teams and closes BWC play at league-leading Cal State Fullerton starting Friday.

BIG WEST BASEBALL

*—overall record includes tie

Sunday

Hawaii 2, UC Riverside 1

Hawaii 5, UC Riverside 4

Cal Poly 17, UC Irvine 5

Cal State Fullerton 6, UC Santa Barbara 3

Cal State Northridge 4, UC Davis 2

**Long Beach State 6, San Jose State 2

**—nonconference

Tuesday

**Pepperdine at Cal State Northridge

**UC Davis at Stanford

**Cal Poly at CSU Bakersfield

**Long Beach State at Loyola Marymount

**UC Santa Barbara at UCLA

**San Diego State at UC Riverside

**USC at UC Irvine

**—nonconference

GAME 1

HAWAII 2, UC RIVERSIDE 1

DP—UC Riverside 1, Hawaii 2. LOB—LBSU 8, Hawaii 5. 2B—LoCoco, Rios. 3B—Fernandez. HBP—Weeks. SH—Contreras, Colvin, Sheldon-Collins. SB—Fernandez, Lopez. CS—Ka’aua.

HBP—by Delgado (Weeks).

Umpires—(Plate): Frank Pflugradt. (First): Carl Coles. (Third): Will Van Raaphorst.

T—2:23.

GAME 2

HAWAII 5, UC RIVERSIDE 4

E—Contreras. DP—UC Riverside 2. LOB—UC Riverside 9, Hawaii 7. 2B—Contreras, Cisneros, Sheldon-Collins, Lopez, Ka’aua. HR—Fernandez 2. SH—Zarate, Rios. SF—Fernandez.

Umpires—(Plate): Carl Coles. (First): Will Van Raaphorst. (Third): Frank Pflugradt.

T—2:48. A—1,223.