HONOLULU -  The University of Hawaiʻi baseball team scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth to earn a 7-4 comeback win over CSU Bakersfield on Thursday night at Les Murakami Stadium in game one of a four-game set.
 
Trailing 4-1 entering the bottom of the eighth, Hawai'i (9-8) scored six runs in a variety of ways to take the opening game. Alex Baeza notched an RBI single, and Ethan Lopez followed with an RBI double to cut the deficit for Hawaiʻi to 4-3. Daylen Calicdan – the hero from UH's win over Oregon last week – delivered the big hit again on Thursday, a two-run go-ahead double to put the 'Bows up for good.   
 
UH went on to tack on two additional runs in the eighth for some breathing room in the three-run victory.
 
Starting on the mound, freshman Li'i Pontes went 5.0 innings with three strikeouts while giving up one earned run on seven hits. Colin Ashworth took over for the next 2.0 innings with one run on one hit.
 
Cade Smith struck out the side in the eighth to pick up the win, and Preseason All-American Dylan Thomas pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth for his first save of the season.
 
UH's manufactured a run in the third to take a 1-0 lead. Tyler Best started the inning with a double to right field and took third on a balk. Dallas Duarte knocked Best home with a sacrifice bunt.
 
The Roadrunners (9-10) gained the lead with a three-run fifth. Alexander Gonzalez led off with a solo home run that hit the foul pole in right. Later in the inning, Tyler Jorgensen and Evan Berkey hit RBI singles to stretch the advantage to 3-1.
 
CSU Bakersfield scored its fourth run of the game in the top of the eighth before UH's comeback in the bottom of the inning.
 
Baeza finished with two of UH's eight hits on the night, while Noah Barba was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the visitors.
 
Game two of the series is set for Friday, March 15 at 6:35 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium.