HILO, Hawai'i — Hawai'i Pacific University got a seven-inning no-hitter from senior lefthander Matthew Gunter in game two as the Sharks opened the PacWest Conference baseball season on Saturday by splitting a doubleheader with Hawai'i-Hilo at Wong Stadium.
 
The Sharks (9-3, 1-1) lost the opener 5-2, but came back to beat the Vulcans (1-1, 1-1) 7-0 in the seven-inning gem.
 
Gunter, the senior from Orangevale, Calif./Bella Vista, accomplished the seven-inning no-no while striking out six Vulcans. He issued four walks and hit two batters as he picked upped his record to 2-1 on the season. Gunter delivered 84 pitches in the seven-inning affair.
 
The Sharks were paced offensively in the twinbill by sophomore Tanner Tokunaga of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City, who went 2-for-8 at the plate with a triple and scored four runs, while junior Ryan Torres-Torioka of Holualoa, Hawai'i/Konawaena scored twice while going 2-for-8 with an RBI and junior Codi Santana from Oxnard, Calif./St. Bonaventure, was 2-for-8 with two RBI.
 
Senior lefthander Matthew Gunter of Orangevale, Calif./Bella Vista, went to 2-1 on the season with a win in game two, picking up his second complete game and his first shutout of the season in the 7-0 victory.
 
The teams play again on Sunday with a non-conference doubleheader slated for Noon at Wong Stadium.
 
Game One
 
The Vulcans got to the Sharks early and HPU couldn't dig out of the hole.
 
Hawai 'i-Hilo jumped out in the first with a leadoff double by Dylan Sugimoto followed with an RBI single from Phillip Steering for the early lead.
 
The Vulcans extended it to 3-0 in the second after a two-out RBI fielder's choice from Jonathan Segovia and a bases loaded RBI walk to Kyle Yamada. And added two more in the sixth on bases loaded RBI walk by Segovia and an RBI fielder's choice by Sugimoto.
 
Down 5-0, the Sharks their two runs in the seventh. Matthew Tsutomi opened the inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Tokunaga singled and a 3-base error was charged to Yamada in left as Tsutomi and Tokunaga scored.
 
William Clemens was tagged with the loss, allowing the five runs, all earned, on seven hits with two strikeouts.
 
UHH's Eric Vega got the loss allowing the two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. Deric Valoroso got the save with three strikeouts in the ninth for the Vulcans.
 
Game Two
 
The Sharks scored in the first and Gunter's gem made it stick before HPU scored four times in the sixth and twice in the seventh to win 7-0.
 
Tokunaga led off the game by being hit by UHH starter Dylan Spain. Tokunaga advanced on a wild pitch and ground out, then came home on Wyatt Hoppie's sacrifice fly.
 
It was Tokunaga who again started things in the big sixth inning for the Sharks, leading off with a triple. Torres-Torioka followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. HPU would load the bases, with Torres-Torioka scoring on an RBI fielder's choice from Froy Smith. Hoppie scored on a wild pitch and an RBI single plated Smith.
 
In the seventh, Tokunaga reached on an error and Torres-Torioka walked to set up a two out, two RBI double by Santana for the Sharks sixth and seventh runs.
 
Gunter saw five batters in an inning once in the Vulcan third, but got a ground ball out to get out of the inning. In the seventh, Gunter hit the leadoff batter, but followed by striking out the side to complete the no-hitter.