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HONOLULU – After opening the Big West Conference with two road wins, the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warrior baseball team finds itself one loss away from a second straight series sweep following a 4-3 defeat to No. 4 Cal Poly on Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium.

The 'Bows (14-18, 2-6 Big West) nearly pulled off the win with some late-inning dramatics in the ninth. With runners on first and second and two outs, Mustang second baseman Mark Mathias overran an Adam Hurley grounder allowing Stephen Ventimilia (1 R, 3 BB) to race home from second and cut the lead to 4-3. With runners at the corners, Juliene Jones ran the count full to Mustang reliever Reed Reilly, but struck out to end the rally.

Matt Miller and Steven Pollakov both had a hit and a run scored with Kaeo Aliviado adding one hit and an RBI. Mathias and Ryan Drobny both had two hits to lead Cal Poly.

Scott Kuzminsky fell to 3-4 on the season for the 'Bows, working six and two-thirds innings and allowing three earned runs on nine hits with four strikeouts. Bryan Granger (1-0) picked up the win with Reilly earning his second save of the series and seventh overall.

Cal Poly (29-5, 7-1 Big West) struck first with a run in the first inning. With runners at the corners and one out, the 'Bows were unable able to turn an inning-ending double play as Mathias scored from third to give the Mustangs the early lead.

Cal Poly put another run across plate in the second. Tim Wise (1 H, 1 R, 1 RBI) and Drobny opened the inning with back-to-back singles, then the Mustangs went to the small ball to score and take a two-run lead.

UH finally got on the board with a run in the fifth inning. Pollakov, who had singled to start the inning, moved to second on an Austin Wobrock (1-2) sac bunt then scored off Aliviado's double down the right field line.

Cal Poly tacked on a pair of runs over the sixth and seventh innings, but the 'Bows rallied when Miller delivered a pinch-hit single in the eighth and scored on a miscue by Wise in left field.

Hawai'i and Cal Poly conclude their series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.