The Cougar baseball team’s comeback attempt ended with a strikeout and a loss to the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors 4-3 Saturday.

WSU (2-5) won the first game of the series against the Rainbow Warriors (7-2) but have lost the two games since then.

Senior pitcher A.J. Block went the distance against Hawai’i, throwing eight innings and recording 10 strikeouts. Block allowed four earned runs over those eight innings and earned a loss.

Hawai’i started the game off quickly, scoring three runs in the first two innings. Junior right fielder Collin Montez scored a run back for the Cougars in the top of the fourth off an RBI sacrifice fly by freshman center fielder Brady Hill. Hawai’i then added another run in the bottom of the fourth putting them up 4-1.

Before the series, head coach Brian Green said the team had to start hitting the fastball.

The team found some success at the plate in the fifth inning but could not build on it the remainder of the game.

Montez hit an RBI single in the fifth inning that scored junior designated hitter Gianni Tomasi. The next at-bat junior left fielder Justin Van De Brake hit another RBI single that scored sophomore first baseman Kyle Manzardo and made it a one-score game.

The Cougars struggled to drive in runs for the rest of the game, recording one hit after the fifth inning. The Cougars also stranded three runners in scoring position and four batters struck out over that span.