HONOLULU – Two one-run games on Saturday were split by the Hawai'i baseball team and UC Santa Barbara at Les Murakami Stadium. UCSB (17-8, 8-3 Big West) took the first game 5-4 and UH took the second game 6-5.
 
Game 1:
Quickly trailing and then in a 5-0 hole by the end of the fifth inning, the Rainbow Warriors (12-9, 4-7 Big West) looked to be on their way to getting shutout for the second game in a row. But a three-run opposite field home run in the sixth inning from designated hitter Jacob Igawa injected life into the 'Bows.
 
Hawai'i gave one last ditch effort to tie the game in the eighth inning. Three-straight two-out singles plated Hawai'i's fourth run of the game and put the tying run 90-feet from home on Igawa's fourth RBI of the game, but a strikeout ended the threat and the 'Bows' second to last breath. Hawai'i was unable to get a runner in the ninth.

The bullpen was solid for Hawai'i in the first game, including 6.0 innings of one run work with five strikeouts in the first game. Junior Buddie Pindel did the bulk of the relief work with 3.2 innings of 7-hit, one-run pitching.
 
Pindel gave way to junior Brandon Ross to make his 2021 debut and Ross was stellar with 1.1 IP without giving up a hit and striking out one while facing four batters. Sophomore Cameron Hagan also threw 1.0 inning without allowing a hit or a run and struck out one as well.
  
Game 2:
Hawai'i trailed 4-0 after the top half of the second inning, but a two-out rally in the bottom half of the inning tied the ball game and shifted the momentum and energy from the visitor's first base dugout to the home third base dugout. Singular runs in the fourth and fifth innings were enough to hold off the Gauchos' eighth and ninth inning attempted rallies.
 
In the bottom of the second, first baseman Alex Baeza walked with one out before right fielder Scotty Scott was hit by a pitch. A ground rule double by catcher Tyler Murray would have plated a pair, but Scott was placed at third base due to the ball bouncing over the wall. An RBI from second baseman Stone Miyao made it a one run game. The second HBP of the inning hit shortstop Kole Kaler and third baseman Aaron Ujimori tied the game with a single to center.
 
The Rainbow Warriors scored a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from center fielder Adam Fogel and a run in the fifth on a Miyao single.
 
An extremely positive pitching performance from senior Logan Pouelsen out of the bullpen held Hawai'i's lead, but not for UCSB's valiant tries to tie it.
 
In the seventh inning, two singles through the left side tested left fielder Igawa's arm. The first throw to the plate was cutoff. The runner scored from second to make it a one run game. The next batter however also singled through the left side, this time Igawa's heave was not cut off and bounced twice on the turf before gliding into Murray's mitt who applied the tag at home to keep the game 6-5.
 
UCSB got the tying run 90-feet from home in the eighth and ninth innings, but freshman Tai Atkins settled the nerves and earned his first save of 2021.
 
Hawai'i will look to get the series split against the 28th ranked team in the country on Sunday with a 1:05 p.m. HT first pitch from Les Murakami Stadium. Both team's starting pitchers are TBA. The game will stream on Spectrum Sports and BigWest.tv.