SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Hawai'i baseball team couldn't overcome a big second inning in an 8-2 loss to UC Santa Barbara on a cold, windy day in Friday's series opener.
 
The Gauchos broke things open early with a six-run second inning off UH starter Randy Abshier. The first eight batters of the inning reached base with runs coming in on a two-run double, two-run homer, bloop single and sacrifice fly to make it 6-0 after two frames.
 
Abshier would settle into a groove from there, though, delivering shutout frames in the third, fourth and fifth before giving way to Itsuki Takemoto with one out in the sixth. Despite allowing the six runs, Abshier kept the 'Bows in the game and fanned four while walking one over 5.1 innings.
 
The Rainbow Warriors got single runs back in the fourth and fifth innings to cut into the deficit. Matthew Miura put UH on the board with a no-doubt homer to left to lead off the fourth inning, going yard for the first time in his collegiate career. Jake Tsukada brought the 'Bows one run closer with an RBI single in the fifth inning, making it 6-2.
 
Santa Barbara stretched its lead with two more runs in the seventh to go back up by six.
 
Jordan Donahue extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a fifth-inning base hit while four players turned in two-hit games to pace the offense. Miura, Tsukada and Duarte all went 2-for-4 while Stone Miyao finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Austin Machado saw his 29-game reached base streak to start the season snapped.
 
The Rainbow Warriors and Gauchos are currently set to continue their series Saturday at 12:05 p.m. HT, however with bad weather in the forecast the schedule for the weekend could be adjusted.