AZUSA, Calif. -- The Hawai'i Pacific University baseball team closed its four-game PacWest series against No. 9 Azusa Pacific with a 10-0 loss on Saturday afternoon at the Cougar Baseball Complex.
 
The Sharks (14-24, 4-22) dropped their eighth straight and lost all 16 games on the mainland this season. The PacWest leading Cougars (30-4, 17-3) won their fifth straight and 15th of their last 16 games.
 
HPU collected nine hits on the day, but left nine runners stranded in the game -- three times at third base.
 
Freshman shortstop Matthew Tsutomi of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City went 2-for-3 in the contest, with sophomore centerfielder Tanner Tokunaga of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City and sophomore leftfielder Jordan Mopas of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/St. Louis both going 2-for-4.
 
HPU lefthanded starter Matthew Gunter of Orangevale, Calif./Bella Vista (4-4) took the loss, allowing eight runs, all earned, on eight hits to go with a game-high five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.
 
The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when the Cougars got the first of two home runs by Pablo O'Connor, a two-run shot, to grab the lead.
 
In the fifth, O'Connor picked up his third RBI with a sacrifice fly that drove in Quincy Quintero who doubled to lead off the inning. An Adrian Tovalin RBI single made it 4-0 for the Cougars.
 
Azusa put the game out of reach in the sixth inning by loading the bases with one out. Mychael Goudreau plated one run with an RBI single that drove Gunter off the mound. HPU reliever Tyler Hazlett walked Cam Bennett to force in another to for a 6-0 lead.
 
O'Connor stepped to the plate to cap his historic day, belting a 2-1 pitch to left center for a grand slam to put the Cougars up 10-0. The shot was O'Connor's second homer of the game, his PacWest leading 16th of the season and his seventh RBI of the game.
 
HPU threatened with a final scoring opportunity in the ninth, but left Tyler Van Stone, who led off the inning with a single, stranded at third.
 
The contest marked the final road game of the season for the Sharks, who return to Hans L'Orange Field next Thursday to face Fresno Pacific at 6 p.m. to start a four-game PacWest series.