On a chilly Ohio night in Columbus, the Hawaii baseball team discovered the cold reality of missed opportunities against Ohio State.

Dominic Canzone hit two home runs and the Rainbow Warriors stranded nine runners, including the potential tying run at third in the ninth, in the Buckeyes’ 6-5 victory before 402 fans at Bill Davis Stadium.

“I know in my 18 years (at UH), those were the toughest conditions we’ve had to play a game in,” coach Mike Trapasso said. “The wind chill was in the 20s. … We battled. Tip your hat (to the Buckeyes). They got the hits when they needed. They kept scoring — one here, one there. It added up.”

Trapasso said each game there are two batters that need to be contained. “Don’t let them beat you,” Trapasso had warned. “Obviously, their leadoff hitter (Canzone) and their 3-hole hitter (Brady Cherry) were the two guys. They did all the damage for the most part.”

Canzone went 3-for-5 and scored three times. Cherry went 3-for-4, with his solo homer tying it at 4 in the bottom of the fourth.

In the seventh, Canzone led off with a double, then scooted to third when Matt Carpenter’s bunt attempt became an infield single. One out later, Canzone scored on Conner Pohl’s sacrifice fly to put OSU ahead, 5-4. Carpenter eventually scored the Buckeyes’ sixth run on Zach Dezenzo’s RBI single.

The ’Bows closed to 6-5 on Ethan Lopez’s run-scoring groundout in the ninth. But with two outs and Daylen Calicdan on third, reliever Will Pfennig struck out pinch hitter Logan Pouelsen to end the game.

The Buckeyes improved to 12-10. The ’Bows lost their fifth in a row and second in this four-game series to drop to 9-13.

UH starting pitcher Li‘i Pontes allowed seven hits and four runs in five innings. He threw strikes on 65.8 percent of his pitches. But the top third of the Buckeyes’ lineup went 7-for-13. In the first two games, the trio was a combined 10-for-23 (.435) with eight runs, five RBIs and three homers.

“They got the hits when it counted,” Trapasso said. “When we had the opportunities, we just didn’t. I’m proud of our guys for battling. I’m proud of (Pontes), with the conditions. While I’m proud of him, that’s not OK. While we’re close, that doesn’t matter. Close doesn’t get you anything.”

The ’Bows have a quick turnaround for today’s game, which begins at 9 a.m.

“I don’t care how quick, as long as we’re playing with the sun out,” Trapasso said.

Trapasso has viewed this as a three-game series with the fourth game — Sunday’s finale — as a bonus. In line with that thinking, Trapasso said Dylan Thomas will be UH’s starting pitcher today. Thomas had been used as a reliever in last week’s series against Cal State Bakersfield.

“We moved Dylan to the ’pen with the idea that if Game 1 or Game 2 he doesn’t come in to close, then he would start Game 3,” Trapasso said. “We lost two in a row, and I don’t want to leave my best pitcher on the bench.”

Trapasso said the same strategy will be employed in Big West play, in which every series is three games.

“The preference is (Thomas) gets the save in Game 1 and Game 2, but that’s not where we are today,” Trapasso said. “We’ll pitch him (on Saturday). That’s how we’ll do it this weekend.”

Trapasso said Aaron Davenport, who originally was set to be the Game 3 starter, will be available “out of the bullpen if we need him to win the ballgame. If he doesn’t pitch, he’ll pitch on Sunday.”