Even when Louisiana Tech tried to give the game away, Hawai'i could not seize victory in a 5-4 loss yesterday to suffer its first losing series of the season.

The Bulldogs allowed four unearned runs from four errors, yet rallied from a 3-0, first-inning deficit to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Athletic Conference series. Louisiana Tech (11-10 overall, 2-0 WAC) scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning, two of them against usually reliable closer Darrell Fisherbaugh, to hand the Rainbows (18-8, 0-2) their second losing streak of the season before 868 at Les Murakami Stadium.

"We played a lot of tough people on the road, played in some tough environments," LT coach Wade Simoneaux said. "We're used to it. We're gonna battle. It taught us how to battle, how to overcome a bad call by the umpire, how to overcome the mistakes that we make. We could've folded our tents early, saying we won (Friday). But in this conference, you can't give in."

Louisiana Tech will try for the sweep in today's 1:05 p.m. finale.

For the Rainbows, it is a matter of taking the bad with the good. They know they're more like the club that has won 18 games rather than the one that lost eight.

"It's just baseball," UH senior outfielder Robbie Wilder said. "If we just come out and play the way we know how to play, over a 56-game schedule, we'll be fine."

It is the attitude UH has tried to keep even in good times.

"I told them you have to keep an even keel," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "Let's go out and win tomorrow. We've got a lot more games left."

Hawai'i starter Ian Harrington took a 4-2 lead into the eighth inning, when he gave up a lead-off single to Mims Boyce (3 for 4). The Bulldogs countered by sending up right-handed hitting Chris Kersten to pinch-hit for the left-handed hitting Adam Cobb. But Trapasso brought in the right-handed Fisherbaugh and Simoneaux countered by pinch-hitting left-hander Brian Rike.

Rike grounded Fisherbaugh's first offering to first baseman Luis Avila, whose throw to second for the force sailed into left-center field for an error, allowing Boyce to score to make it 4-3 and Rike to take second.

"If he makes a good throw, it's a good play," Trapasso said. "It's a physical error and physical errors happen."

Fisherbaugh then walked Jericho Jones before Amos Ramon's flare single to center loaded the bases. With the infield playing in, Fisherbaugh hit Albie Goulder on a 2-2 count to force across the tying run. Ryan Hamilton then singled to left-center to put LT up 5-4 and reload the bases.

Trapasso pulled Fisherbaugh for freshman Matt Daly, who retired the next two batters on an infield pop and foul pop (both to first) and got the last out on a fly to left to keep UH's deficit at one. Fisherbaugh (2-1) was charged with two runs, two hits, a walk and a hit batsman while not registering an out.

Harrington pitched well, allowing three runs (two earned), six hits with no walks and five strikeouts in seven-plus innings.

"Fish has done a great job for us all year," Harrington said. "But today just wasn't his day. You can't be perfect every time."

The Rainbows started the game without their hottest hitter in right fielder Matt Inouye (.453 entering the game). Trapasso said Inouye did not start as punishment for his ejection in Friday's game for unsportsmanlike conduct when he tried to elbow the first baseman after grounding out to the pitcher. However, Inouye was sent up to pinch-hit for Eli Christensen to lead-off the bottom of the ninth. He singled, but UH's rally came up short against Ramon, who tossed two scoreless innings for his second save.

Asked why Inouye was allowed to play, Trapasso said: "Because I wanted to win the game, that's why. I didn't start him because of what he did last night. I didn't suspend him for the whole game."

Bulldogs' starter Matt Lacy gave up four runs, all unearned, in 5 2/3 innings. But he contributed to the three-run first by hitting two batters and his pick-off throwing error that sent Wilder from first to third, where he scored on Joe Spiers' single. Right fielder Jones also dropped a two-out fly by Jorge Franco that allowed a run to score on the two-base error. Franco stole third and scored on catcher Boyce's throwing error that put UH ahead 3-0. Lacy's second error came in the sixth. An infield single by Derek DuPree loaded the bases, but Lacy inadvertently kicked the ball away while chasing it down, allowing a run to score.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.