HONOLULU – Itsuki Takemoto and Sebastian Gonzalez delivered a strong combined effort on the mound but the Hawai'i baseball team dropped a pitcher's duel, 2-1, to No. 15 UC Santa Barbara in the series opener Friday at Les Murakami Stadium.
 
Takemoto got the start and worked 5.2 innings and struck out six with no walks but took the loss, while Gonzalez came out of the bullpen and threw 3.1 scoreless frames with three strikeouts and no free passes.
 
UCSB starter Tyler Bremner fanned eight Rainbow Warriors over six innings of one-run ball, scattering a run and four hits to earn the win. The Gauchos then turned it over to Donovann Jackson for the final three innings in which he did not allow a hit and stranded two 'Bows on base in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save.
 
The Gauchos broke through first by scratching across a run off Takemoto in the fourth. After a Jack Holman leadoff double, back-to-back fly balls made it 1-0. Kamana Nahaku provided the response in the bottom of the fifth smacking a one-out solo homer out to left field on the first pitch he saw to know it up at one.
 
UCSB would come right back to reclaim the lead in the top of the sixth cashing in on another leadoff double with Isaac Kim delivering the eventual game-winnig hit on a two-out RBI single to make it 2-1.
 
The Rainbow Warriors and Gauchos continue their series Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium. The game is officially sold out, however standing room tickets will be available for purchase at the stadium while select tickets are still available through Hawai'i Athletics' official resale partner SeatGeek.