The Hawaii softball team began Saturday by finishing a third straight opponent via the mercy rule. The Rainbow Wahine couldn’t make it a fourth.

UNLV brought that streak to an end with a 5-4 win over UH in an afternoon contest at Eller Media Stadium on Day 2 of the Desert Classic in Las Vegas. The previous day, UH had routed the host Rebels 12-2 in six innings.

Facing a two-run deficit in the top of the seventh Saturday, the Rainbow Wahine got one back thanks to Haley Johnson’s double to score Maya Nakamura, who walked to lead off the inning. But from there, UH recorded three straight flyouts to drop to 6-4 on the season.

Rachel “Bueller” Sabourin smacked a three-run homer in the second inning, her third of the season, to answer UNLV’s three-run shot from Ariana Martinez in the first.

April Visser knocked in Skyler Shaw in the fourth as the go-ahead run and Denise Armendariz added a solo shot in the fifth. UH freshman Millie Fidge took the loss with all five runs earned in her first career start, though she went the distance even after making a two-inning relief appearance earlier in the day.

Jessie Fontes got the win for UNLV (4-5) in minimizing five walks and holding UH to two hits in five innings.

That morning, UH jumped all over Big West opponent Cal State Bakersfield 14-6 in six innings in a designated nonconference game. UH run-ruled a third straight opponent for the first time since 2012.

The Wahine piled up 12 hits and 12 walks to overpower the Roadrunners (1-7). UH jumped out 7-0 in the first inning, then saw the ‘Runners come within 7-5 in the fourth. The Wahine put it away, however, with three runs in the fourth and two more in each of the fifth and sixth frames.

Sophomore Brianna Lopez improved to 4-1 on the season after going four innings with five runs allowed, but just two earned.

UH closes the tournament against winless Montana at 7:30 a.m. Hawaii time Sunday.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.