CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Hawai'i baseball team struck first but couldn't contain No. 6 Oregon State's potent offense, falling 12-4 in the weekend series opener on Friday night at Goss Stadium.
 
Kamana Nahaku wasted no time getting the Rainbow Warriors (20-17) on the board, launching a leadoff home run to right-center field in the top of the first inning. However, the Beavers (31-9) responded immediately with a three-run bottom half of the frame and added a run in the second to take an early 4-1 lead against Hawai'i starter Isaiah Magdaleno.
 
Hawai'i cut the deficit in the top of the third when Tate Shimao blasted a two-run home run to right field for his first round-tripper of the year, scoring Ben Zeigler-Namoa and making it a 4-3 game. Shimao's long ball added to his stellar recent stretch at the plate, while Nahaku paced the offense by finishing 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, a walk, and two runs scored.
 
Oregon State answered every Hawai'i push, scratching across two runs in the bottom of the third to chase Magdaleno (4-4) from the game. After Hawai'i plated an unearned run in the fifth on a Zeigler-Namoa groundout to make it 6-4, the Beavers steadily built their advantage.
 
Oregon State added two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh before Adam Haight put the contest out of reach with a three-run homer in the eighth to cap the 12-4 victory.
 
Senior Ryan Inouye provided a bright spot out of the bullpen, striking out six batters and yielding just one earned run over 3.1 innings of relief.
 
Oregon State starter Dax Whitney (6-1) earned the victory, striking out seven over 6.2 innings before handing the ball over to Noah Scott, who tossed 2.1 hitless innings to secure the win.
 
The Rainbow Warriors will look to bounce back and even the series against the sixth-ranked Beavers on Saturday at 12:05 p.m. HT.