SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The Hawai'i baseball team took an early lead but couldn't hold on to it in a 5-2 loss at Cal Poly Sunday, dropping two out of the three games in the series.
 
Both starting pitchers cruised through the first four innings before the two teams combined for five runs in the fifth. UH got on the board first, with Xaige Lancaster delivering an RBI single and Shunsuke Sakaino coming through with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
 
The Mustangs came right back with three two-out runs in the bottom half, scoring on three consecutive RBI singles to chase Hawai'i starter Cooper Walls from the game and make it 3-2.
 
Nate Castellon extended Cal Poly's lead in the sixth, delivering a two-out run-scoring single while a second run came in to score on the play following a throwing error to make it 5-2.
 
Mustang reliever Jaccob Torres shut down the Hawai'i offense over the final 4.1 innings, as he struck out four while allowing just two hits and a walk to earn the win. Torres and starting pitcher Ethan Marmie combined to hold UH to just five hits while totaling seven strikeouts and walking three.
 
Jimmy Urban and Freddy Rodriguez each delivered scoreless outings of relief, with Urban pitching 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and Rodriguez spinning a scoreless eighth inning against his former team.
 
The two teams will be back in action for the rubber match Sunday at 10 a.m. HT.