LAS VEGAS, Nev.—The University of Hawai'i baseball team came up short in the first game of a three-game non-conference series, 11-5 Friday night, to UNLV at Las Vegas Ballpark.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (20-20, 13-8) have battled through a tough non-conference slate in 2022 but fell to 7-12 on the season against opponents outside of the Big West Conference. The Running Rebels (32-16, 17-7) continue to play well of late, winning their 12th game since April 10th, going 12-5 over their last 17.
 
Both teams came out of the game swinging hot bats as UH took an early 2-0 lead after two UNLV fielding errors. The Running Rebels took it in stride, putting up five runs, all earned in the bottom half of the inning, putting an early end to junior Cade Halemanu's night after two-thirds of an inning.
 
Sophomore pitcher Connor Harrison worked to keep UH in it as the offense mounted a comeback with three runs in the third. As runners sat at second and third with one out, sophomore second baseman Stone Miyao ripped a line-drive double to the wall in right-centerfield, scoring both runners to make it 5-4. Junior first baseman Jacob Igawa followed up in the next at-bat with a single to center, scoring Miyao to tie it up at 5-5.
 
Harrison allowed an unearned run to score in his last inning of work for a 6-5 deficit before senior pitcher Buddie Pindel took over in the fourth. The Running Rebels proceeded to tack on five more runs throughout the evening as UH stayed stagnant for the 11-5 final. 
 
The loss went to Harrison (2-1) as the bullpen accounted for eight and a third innings of work between him and Pindel. Miyao led the 'Bows' lineup as he went 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs batted in and two doubles. The game marked his seventh multi-hit game of the season and fifth game of three hits.
 
Game two of the series begins at 10:05 am HT on Saturday, with Blaze Koali'i Pontes taking on Josh Sharman. UH will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to UNLV.
 
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