Cal Poly accepted what Hawaii provided and ended up giving the Rainbow Wahine softball team its fifth straight loss Friday night.

The visiting Mustangs took advantage of three Hawaii errors to score four unearned runs in the last three innings of a 6-4 win in the opening game of a Big West Conference series at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

UH led 4-1 after four innings, but couldn’t overcome the defensive miscues in the late innings and fell to 19-20 overall and 4-6 in conference play. The series concludes with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 2 p.m. 

"We have to put it behind us," UH first baseman Leisha Li’ili’i said. "At this point we have nothing to lose. We have to learn from our mistakes and move forward and keep playing. … One day at a time. One pitch at a time"

Cal Poly freshman Sierra Hyland was generous at times on Friday, but managed to survive to improve to 20-7. Hyland, the Big West leader in earned-run average and strikeouts, walked eight and allowed UH to score its first two runs on wild pitches.

The Mustangs (23-16, 5-5) rallied to tie the game in the sixth and took the lead on an error and a bases-loaded walk in the seventh. Hyland stranded the tying runs to end a game that was delayed briefly three times by rain.

"It was a crazy game with the weather, but our kids battled through all the adversity," Cal Poly coach Jenny Condon said. "Sierra didn’t have her ‘A’ game today, but her defense helped her out and her hitting.

"We don’t hit a ton of home runs; we’re more of put the ball in play and make the defense play it and we did a good job with that tonight."

UH sophomore Loie Kesterson gave up nine hits, walked five and struck out one while surrendering two earned runs in the loss as the Wahine fell into sixth place in the Big West.

"Tomorrow hopefully we give her a better fate. If we don’t we’re going to struggle if we’re going to give up that many runs," UH coach Bob Coolen said.

UH jumped ahead when Jazmine Zamora scored from third on a wild pitch in the first inning and Keiki Carlos came in on Hyland’s second wild pitch of the game in the third.

Cal Poly broke through in the top of the fourth inning on Jillian Andersen’s RBI single. UH answered in the bottom of the inning when Kristina Akiona drove in Sharla Kliebenstein with a single to right and Sarina Jaramillo later scored from third on a double steal to extend the Wahine lead to 4-1.

Cal Poly put two runners on with two out in the fifth and both scored when UH center fielder Lindsey Willmon couldn’t make a running catch of Mariah Cochiolo’s drive.

The Mustangs tied the game in the sixth on Lauren Moreno’s RBI single to center and took the lead with two out in the seventh when Shea Williams’ grounder got past UH third baseman Kaile Nakao and pinch runner Cami Brown came around from second with the go-ahead run. Moreno then drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Mustangs a two-run cushion.

Sierra Hyland and Mariah Cochiolo. Loie Kesterson and Kayla Wartner, Sharla Kliebenstein (5). 

W–Hyland. L–Kesterson.

Leading hitters–Cal Poly: Lauren Moreno, 2-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Courtney Tyler, 2-2; Jillian Andersen, 2-3, RBI. Hawaii:  Kristina Akiona, 2-3, RBI.