Kamana Nahaku hit a tie-breaking grand slam in the seventh inning and Matthew Miura added a two-run homer in the ninth to boost the Hawaii baseball team to a 9-3 victory over Cal State Northridge today at Hiegert Field on the CSUN campus.

“Great win, everybody involved,” said UH coach Rich Hill, noting the Rainbow Warriors also turned three key double plays. “Gritty all day.”

The Matadors scored two runs on a throwing error and a wild pitch to take a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning.

“Didn’t flinch when they went up,” Hill said.

The Rainbow Warriors tied it at 3 in the sixth on Jared Quandt’s sacrifice fly and pinch hitter Aidan Kuni’s run-scoring double.

In the seventh, Shunsuke Sakaino led off with a walk against reliever Kody King and went to second on Jordan Donahue’s sacrifice. Noah Rinehart, who replaced King, walked Miura and then induced Ben Zeigler-Namoa to hit a grounder to the right side. But second baseman Kyle Panganiban bobbled the ball and then threw too late to get Zeigler-Namoa at first as the ’Bows loaded the bases. One out later, Nahaku emptied the bases, driving Rinehart’s first pitch over the left-center wall for 7-3 lead.

“I can’t say enough about Kamana Nahaku this season,” Hill said. “He’s been great.”

In the ninth, Miura’s two-run homer ended the suspense.

Liam O’Brien, Sebastian Gonzalez and Isaiah Magdaleno combined on a seven-hitter for the ’Bows. Magdaleno earned the seven-out save, his fourth of the season. Magdaleno has not allowed an earned run in 14 2/3 consecutive innings.

The ’Bows improved to 19-6 and 7-4 in the Big West. The Matadors are 6-16 and 3-8. The first pitch is at 10:05 a.m. for Sunday’s finale of the three-game series.