There’s a lot to like about winning with a shutout. And the University of Hawaii baseball team has even more to enjoy than other squads.

“Our program has a tradition that if we have a shutout the pitchers get to take batting practice,” UH coach Rich Hill said after the Rainbows’ 3-0 win at UC Davis on Friday. “So everybody’s excited about that.”

Cade Halemanu and Dalton Renne combined on an eight-hitter. It’s the Bows’ first shutout of the season and their eighth Big West win in a row.

Coming off a 10-7 loss Tuesday to nonconference opponent Fresno State, the Rainbows improved to 17-17 overall and 10-6 in the league. UC Davis fell to 3-21 and 2-14.

There’s another side benefit when you blank your opponent on Friday with games coming up the next two days.

“We’re lined up really good for the rest of the series since we used only two pitchers,” said Hill, adding that Renne might be available to pitch in relief again Sunday after his nine-out save. He allowed two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Halemanu’s control was excellent, as he struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter until Nick Iverson to lead off the seventh. With the UH starter at 97 pitches, Hill summoned Renne. The next batter, Omar Plascencia, grounded into a double play — one of three by Hawaii’s defense.

“Great pitching and defense,” Hill said. “(Second baseman) Stone Miyao went far to his left a couple times.”

Halemanu (2-3) has lived up to his considerable potential during UH’s streak of conference wins.

“He had zip, a real good change-up, and the slider. They were all working, he had all three pitches,” Hill said. “Then Dalton came in and was excellent, too.”

Hawaii got just five hits, and didn’t need one to score in the first inning. The first two batters, Cole Cabrera and Aaron Ujimori, were both hit by pitches by Aggies starter and loser Nathan Peng (0-2), and Cabrera later scored on a passed ball.

Kyson Donahue singled to drive in Jacob Igawa to make it 2-0 in the fourth. Miyao extended his hitting streak to 11 games during the rally.

“We thought (Miyao) was ready to turn the corner a couple of weeks ago, and he’s really caught fire,” Hill said. “We moved him up to the five hole, and he came up big. He had a great at-bat on that sacrifice fly.”

That was in the sixth to bring in UH’s final run. Miyao’s fly scored DallasJ Duarte, who was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a double by Igawa, who went 2-for-4.

Iverson went 3-for-3 for the Aggies.

UH left fielder Scotty Scott, recovered from an arm injury, returned to the starting lineup and went 1-for-3.