HONOLULU – The University of Hawaiʻi baseball team dropped a doubleheader to visiting Iowa on Saturday at Les Murakami Stadium. The Rainbow Warriors (2-5) fell by scores of 10-8 and 6-4.
 
Iowa 10 – Hawaiʻi 8
Hawaiʻi jumped out to a 7-3 lead through three innings, but Iowa used two big offensive innings to secure a 10-8 comeback victory in game one on Saturday.
 
With two outs in the first, the 'Bows picked up two runs on back-to-back RBI singles from Ethan Lopez and Alex Baeza. The Hawkeyes quickly responded, however, getting three runs in the top of the third to take the lead.
 
Momentum swung back to the Rainbow Warriors in the third with UH picking up five runs, including two off a double by Tyler Best. The action continued in the top of the fourth with Iowa adding four runs on three hits to level the scoring at 7-7.
 
The scored remained knotted at 7-7 until the seventh when an RBI double and two RBI singles from Iowa gave the visitors a 10-7 lead.
 
Logan Pouelsen's solo home run in the ninth cut into Iowa's advantage, but it was not enough to complete the comeback.
 
Calvin Turchin took the loss going 3.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits in relief of Aaron Davenport. Scott Bellina tossed the final 2.2 innings without giving up a run for UH.
 
 
Iowa 6 – Hawaiʻi 4
UH's fast start was again answered quickly by Iowa in game two as the Hawkeyes scored in the third and eighth innings to pull out the 6-4 victory.
 
The Rainbow Warriors manufactured two runs in the second scoring on Daylen Calicdan's RBI groundout and a bunt single from Daniel Crasnick for a 2-0 lead.
 
UH freshman pitcher Li'i Pontes cruised through the first two innings but ran into trouble in the third when Tanner Wetrich unloaded the bases with a grand slam to left.
 
The Iowa lead stretched to 6-2 in the eighth on a two-RBI single by Zeb Adreon.
 
For UH, Baeza delivered an RBI single in the eighth and Scotty Scott followed with an RBI triple. The Hawkeyes used five different pitchers in the eighth to keep the 'Bows for getting any closer.
 
In his season debut, preseason Second Team All-American Dylan Thomas struck out the side in the ninth inning.
 
The two sides will close the series on Sunday, Feb. 24 with a 1:05 p.m. game at Les Murakami Stadium.