Hawaii’s nonconference baseball game at Fresno State on Tuesday resembled a boxing match with two sluggers going at it toe-to-toe.

The Rainbows landed the first solid crack, but the Bulldogs counter-punched enough to retake the lead and keep it throughout the four-hour game.

In the end, it was a 10-7 decision for host FSU, as the Rainbows’ former WAC rivals snapped UH’s eight-game winning streak. The Rainbows fell to 16-17 overall. Fresno State is 18-18.

“I thought it was like trading blows for a while,” Hawaii coach Rich Hill said in a postgame phone interview. “We punched back each time they extended the lead, and I thought we were in position to win the game numerous times. But things like striking out with runners in scoring position with less than two out, we pride ourselves on not doing that. We’ll work on those things and we’ll be back in conference play (Friday at UC Davis).”

UH produced 15 hits, including three from Stone Miyao. But Hawaii left 11 runners on, including five in the seventh and eighth innings.

The ’Bows will bus it from Fresno to Davis today, where they play a three-game series against the Aggies (3-20, 2-13 Big West) this weekend. Hawaii is 9-6 in the conference.

Cole Cabrera led off the game with a home run over the left-field fence, his second of the season. But UH’s 1-0 lead was erased in the bottom of the inning.

Tai Atkins started but did not get out of the first and was tagged with the loss. He faced nine Bulldogs and allowed five runs, four of which were earned.

“Tai just didn’t have his best stuff today,” Hill said.

The ’Bows struck back immediately with three runs in the second to make it 5-4. Cabrera delivered again, with a two-run single.

Fresno State scored three in the fourth, and UH answered again in the fifth to close it to 8-7. That rally featured a pinch-hit RBI single by Scotty Scott, Hawaii’s leadoff-hitting left fielder who has been out of the lineup with a shoulder injury.

“We’ll play it by ear and see how he is tomorrow,” Hill said when asked if Scott would return to the starting lineup for the Davis series.

Fresno State added two insurance runs in the fifth, while UH had opportunities but ran out of gas in the late innings. Nikoh Mitchell (1-2) won in relief for Fresno State, and Jake Dixon pitched a perfect ninth for his first save.

Hawaii used seven pitchers. The last three — Cameron Hagan, Connor Harrison, and Blaze Koali’i Pontes — combined to allow just one of Fresno State’s 13 hits in the final three innings.

“Pontes was great at the end of the game, electric stuff,” Hill said. “That’s the thing about these Tuesday games. It’s a delicate balance between being super aggressive with your pitchers and keeping them fresh for your conference games. Tonight it just didn’t work out.”

UH’s usual Friday starter, Cade Halemanu, will pitch the first game at Davis, with Pontes starting Saturday, Hill said. Dalton Renne could get the start Sunday, depending on what happens in the first two games, the coach added.