Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WAIPAHU, HI (February 14, 2015) – The Hawai'i Pacific Baseball Team (3-2) split the final doubleheader of the five game series with Northwest Nazarene (4-5). The Crusaders took the opener 10-2 but HPU responded with a 4-3 win in game two.
The first game looked optimistic early for the Sharks as they jumped out to a two run lead in the first.
Jordan Oshiro led off the game with a walk and was quickly on second after showing off his speed and swiping the bag.
Derek Nakasato then continued his hot start to the young season with a double down the right field line to easily score Oshiro. Newcomer
Nolan Barraza singled up the middle afterwards to drive in Nakasato.
The Sharks' lead was short lived however, as the Crusaders struck for four runs in the fourth inning. All four runs ended up being unearned runs however, as the Sharks defense sputtered in the inning, making two critical errors.
In the fifth inning, the Crusaders pushed their lead even further. After starter
Harley Holt struck out the first two batters, the next hitter reached on an error, which was followed by an infield single, and a killer two-run double marking the end of Holt's night. The Crusaders scratched one more across in the inning against reliever
John Albert, making it 7-2.
The Crusaders put three more runs on the board in the eighth inning to increase their lead. This would prove irrelevant, as the Sharks offense would stay pedestrian throughout the rest of the game, leading to a 10-2 loss for the Sharks.
Holt fell to 0-1 in his first Shark start, but did not give up an earned run in four and two-thirds innings.
Game two of the doubleheader started out much like the first game. Oshiro led off by getting hit by a pitch and once again swiped second base.
Tyler Tokunaga then reached on an error by the right fielder, after losing the fly ball in the lights. Nakasato then drove in Oshiro on a deep sac fly to center.
Shark starter
Cody Ells managed to get out of any trouble in the first three innings he found himself in. Including in the third inning when left fielder
Derek Nakasato charged a hard single through the left side and gunned down Nazarene's runner at home to keep the shutout intact. In the same inning, third baseman Nolan Barazza also made a great diving play down the line to save a run and nearly threw out the batter at first.
In the fourth inning, the NNU got on the board and then some, finally getting to Ells. After getting the first two batters out, Ben Circeo singled to left. The single was followed by a walk and then an RBI single by Josh Hatfield.
Ethan Kalin then replaced Ells and on the first pitch, Tyler Davis tripled down the right field line to push across the second and third runs to lead 3-1.
In the bottom of the inning,
Chad Bolibol started off a rally being hit by pitch and later coming around to score on an
Ian Arciaga groundout to answer back and make it 3-2.
The Sharks' half of the fifth,
Reid Akau singled off the third base bag. He moved to second on a wild pitch before Oshiro doubled down the right field line to drive him in and tie the game. Nakasato then once again make his mark by driving in Oshiro to take the lead on a single through the four hole.
In the top of the sixth with two on and only one out, closer Jordan DePonte make his second appearance of the season. The first batter he faced reached on an error to load the bases. DePonte came up clutch though, striking out the next hitter and then getting the next out on a pop up to the second baseman.
DePonte ran into some trouble in the seventh with the tying and go-ahead runs on first and second and two outs and after a long battle. He struck out the last batter of the game and seal the series win for the Sharks and pick up his first save.
Ethan Kalin (1-0) got the win in game two after going a scoreless inning and two-thirds.
The Sharks next take on Fresno Pacific in a four game set starting on February 27th at Hans L'Orange Park at 4:00 pm in their first PacWest series.
