On a Friday when the Hawaii baseball team was good, 28th-ranked UC Santa Barbara was better.

Michael McGreevy pitched a three-hitter and the Gauchos made the most of two-out situations in a 3-0 victory at Les Murakami Stadium. The Gauchos, the preseason favorite to win the league, improved to 16-8 overall and 7-2 in the Big West. The Rainbow Warriors’ sixth loss in a row dropped them to 11-8 and 3-6. The four-game series continues with today’s doubleheader starting at noon.

“Today was about McGreevy,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “You have to tip your hat. He challenged us. He came right at us. We just didn’t have an answer for him today. He was just better than us.”

Zach Torra, the Gauchos’ usual series-opening starter, has not pitched since March 19 because of an ailment. McGreevy, who is widely regarded as UCSB’s top pro prospect, made an easy ascension into the Friday slot. McGreevy struck out 10 and did not issue a walk. UH’s three baserunners never advanced past first base.

McGreevy spoiled the ’Bows’ best pitching-fielding combination this season. Aaron Davenport pitched to exhaustion before exiting with one out in the ninth. Davenport yielded a two-out, two-run single in the sixth, then was credited with a third run when pinch hitter Michael Marsh chopped an RBI infield hit in the ninth. Davenport threw 110 pitches, 71 of them for strikes.

“Aaron was gassed,” Trapasso said of Davenport, who spaced seven hits, walked two, and struck out four. “He gave everything he had. He was outstanding.”

The ’Bows also played what Trapasso termed “clean” baseball — no errors, pitches low in the zone.

“We did that,” Trapasso said. “We didn’t score any runs, but we gave ourselves a chance. If we can pitch and play defense like that the next couple days, we’re going to have a chance to win this series.”

After five scoreless innings, UCSB third baseman Cole Cummings reached on an infield hit with one out. One out later, Cummings went to third on Broc Mortensen’s single to right. Mortensen advanced to second on Davenport’s 58-foot pitch that ricocheted off catcher Tyler Murray. Zach Rodriguez hit a Davenport curveball into right field to score Cummings and Mortensen.

“They got the hit when they needed to, and it was on a curveball,” Trapasso said. “They hit Aaron’s best pitch.”

In the ninth, Bryce Willits singled up the middle and went to second on Christian Kirtley’s walk. That set off a chain of changes — Nicolas Vogt ran for Willits, Nick Oakley for Kirtley, and Tyler Dyball replaced Davenport.

On Dyball’s third strike to Steele Ledford, Vogt and Oakley advanced on a double steal. Jason Willow was intentionally walked to load the bases. Marsh hit a chopper to short and out-raced Kole Kaler’s throw to first to bring home the third UCSB run.

“That was a good baseball game from a standpoint of two teams pitching well and playing good defense,” Trapasso said. “There were good defensive plays on both sides. I feel good about the way we played from a pitching and defensive standpoint. You’ve got to do that the rest of the way. We’ve got to be able to match Davenport’s effort and give ourselves a chance. This was a ranked team for a reason.”