Davis, Calif. – Dallas Duarte belted a two-run home run in the top of the first and Hawai'i starter Cade Halemanu threw six innings of one run baseball as the Rainbow Warriors outlasted CSU Bakersfield 4-1 and clinched a series victory, Friday night at Hardt Field. The Roadrunners dropped their first conference series of the season, falling to 7-4 in league action and 14-18 overall, while Hawai'i won for the seventh straight game. 

Bakersfield starter Kellen O'Connor tossed five innings and allowed just six hits and three earned runs, striking out seven Hawai'i hitters. At one point O'Connor retired 12-straight Rainbow Warriors, making his fourth-consecutive strong start for CSUB. 

Halemanu was just a bit better for Hawai'i, as the 2021 Big West All-League Second-Team selection won for the first time this season. 

Angel Saldivar led the Roadrunners offensively, picking up three singles in four at bats, while AJ Miller drove in the team's lone run with a bases loaded walk in the third. 

T1 | Hawai'i catcher Dallas Duarte jumped on a first-pitch fastball and hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence with one out in the first to stake the Rainbow Warriors to an early 2-0 lead.
 
B3 | Bakersfield loaded the bases with no outs in the third but managed just one run on an AJ Miller base on balls to slice the Hawai'i lead in half at 2-1.
 
T5 | Jordan Donahue stole second with two away and scored one pitch later on Cole Cabrera's sharp single through the left-side, giving Hawai'i a 3-1 lead.

T8 | Matt Wong doubled in Duarte to give Hawai'i a 4-1 lead in the top of the eighth. 

   

• The Roadrunners dropped a Big West Conference series for the first time this season.

• CSUB has allowed first-inning runs in four of their last five Big West contests. 

• Bakersfield starter Kellen O'Connor surrendered a base on balls to open the sixth inning, it was the first walk he had issued in 24.0 innings pitched over four outings. O'Connor fanned 28 in that same span. 

The Roadrunners and Rainbow Warriors close out their conference series Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. David Roderick will make his first career start for the `Runners, with Hawai'i's starter still to be announced. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive the second set of CSU Bakersfield Baseball trading cards, while kids 12 & under can enjoy a post-game Easter Egg hunt on the outfield grass.