HONOLULU – The University of Hawaiʻi baseball team was handed an 8-5 defeat by UC Irvine in Big West action at Les Murakami Stadium on Saturday night.
 
Hawaiʻi (11-15, 1-1 BWC), which won the series opener yesterday over UC Irvine (17-5, 1-1 BW) by a 10-2 final score, will look to earn the series win on Sunday, March 31 at the series finale at 1:05 p.m.
 
UC Irvine, which is ranked in the various national polls – as high as No. 19 in the Baseball America Top 25, jumped on the 'Bows early with two runs in the first. The first two batters reached base before an Adrian Damla RBI single and a Brendan Brooks sacrifice fly gave UC Irvine a 2-0 edge. The Anteaters made it 3-0 when Brandon Lewis scored on a Hawaiʻi error in the third.  
 
In the fourth, the Rainbow Warriors answered back with a run to cut it to 3-1. Alex Baeza, who led off the inning with a single, came around to score later in the frame on Dallas Duarte's RBI single up the middle.
 
After UC Irvine put some distance between themselves and the 'Bows with three runs in the sixth, it was Hawaiʻi's turn to get back on the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the sixth. UH loaded the bases, and Ethan Lopez scored from third on a Duarte groundout to put the score at 6-2.
 
UCI added two more runs to their total with a pair of solo home runs in the seventh for an 8-2 lead.
 
UH rallied for three runs in the ninth beginning with an RBI single off the bat of Tyler Best. Scotty Scott and Daylen Calicdan followed with RBI groundouts to make it 8-5 before UCI's Taylor Rashi got the final out to pick up the save.
 
On the mound, UH used six different pitchers with starter Jeremy Wu-Yelland going 2.0 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with three strikeouts. Connor Butler and Calvin Turchin pitched scoreless innings out of the Hawaiʻi bullpen on the night.
 
At the plate, Baeza, Duarte and Maaki Yamazaki collected two hits apiece for the 'Bows.
 
The Rainbow Warriors and Anteaters will conclude their three-game set on Sunday, March 31 at 1:05 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium.