WAIPAHU, Hawai'i — Hawai'i Pacific University pounded out 11 hits and plated 10 runs in wiping out a nine-game losing streak by downing Academy of Art 10-2 in PacWest play on Friday night at Hans L'Orange Park.
 
The Sharks (12-12, 2-10) got a strong pitching performance from Matthew Gunter as well in defeating the Urban Knights (9-14, 5-5).
 
Gunter, the senior lefthander from Orangevale, Calif./Bella Vista, pitched seven scoreless innings allowing just four hits to ArtU while striking out 11 batters on his way to 3-3 on the season.
 
The game was highlighted offensively by Ryan Torres-Torioka's fifth inning 3-run homer and an RBI triple in the seventh by Wyatt Hoppie.
 
Torres-Torioka, the junior rightfielder from Holualoa, Hawai'i/Konawaena, went 2-for-3 for the night with a double in the first and the home run, scoring two runs. Hoppie, a junior from Orange, Calif./Villa Park, posted his first triple of the year.
 
"We were able to put it all together tonight," said HPU head coach Garett Yukumoto. "We got the lead early and Matthew had a strong outing on the mound. It was a great win."
 
The Sharks got the lead in the second with an RBI single from Austin Inabata to score Jordan Mopas, then plated two more in the fourth on Kreston Woods two RBI single with the bases loaded.
 
The Sharks fifth inning essentially put the game away. Jordan Mopas was hit by a pitch, the third of four batters plunked by AAU starter Luke Lacy, and went to second on Codi Santana's single. After a fly out, Mitchell Bumann sent deep fly ball to right centerfield where a diving Evan Ray snared the ball the ball and landed flat. Mopas broke from second and never stopped, scoring on the sacrifice fly. Inabata was hit by Lacy to set up Torres-Torioka's 3-run blast to left field, his first of the season.
 
HPU added two more runs in the sixth and a single run in the seventh before surrendering two runs in the eighth after Gunter was lifted for Tyler Hazlett.
 
The Sharks tagged Lacy for the loss, who fell to 2-4 on the season. Lacy allowed seven runs, six earned, on nine hits with one strikeout.
 
HPU and ArtU play a doubleheader at Hans L'Orange Park on Saturday at 2 p.m. to conclude the series.