KANEOHE, Hawai'i — Hawai'i Pacific University opened the 2018 Softball season with a doubleheader exhibition loss to Josai University of Japan on Tuesday afternoon at Howard Okita Field.
 
The Sharks fell to Josai 7-0 in game one and 16-4 in game two.
 
Josai one hit the Sharks in the opening contest, then outslugged the Sharks in the nightcap.
 
Josai, up 2-0 early, broke open the first game with a three-run fourth after a bases-loaded single by Miyu Suzuki with an error on the play allowing all three runs to score. Suzuki went 2-for-4 in the game with three RBI.
 
Sophomore Emiliee Leonard of La Mirada, Calif./St. Paul, started for the Sharks going four innings allowing five runs with two hits and eight walks, with junior Alexis Morales of San Diego/Mater Dei Catholic, going three innings allowing two runs on five hits with a strikeout and two walks.
 
Josai's Miki Endo threw four innings of no hit softball with three strikeouts and two walks. Chinaho Kameyama allowed the only hit in two innings, with Rika Karasawa chalking up a strikeout in an inning of work.
 
The Sharks fell 16-4 in the second contest, allowing seven runs in the final two innings.
 
After allowing two runs in the opening frame, HPU scored one run in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by sophomore designated player Brazzlynn Tovio-Asato of Kapolei, Hawai'i/University Lab to pull back 2-1.
 
But a pair of errors in the top of the third allowed Josai to score six runs to take control of the contest. HPU got three back in the bottom of the third thanks to an RBI double from freshman centerfielder Cieanna Curran of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell, an error and a homerun from senior first baseman Noelani Boyer of Carson, Calif./Banning.
 
Josai added another run in the fourth, three in the sixth and four in the seventh.
 
Boyer led the attack for the Sharks going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
Junior Jordan Curry of Farmington, N.M./Farmington, got the start and pitched three innings with a strikeout. The Sharks also used senior Gabriella Nowack, senior Alexa McCoin, and freshman Malia Torres in the circle.
 
Mika Ichizawa started for Josai, going three innings allowing all four runs and five hits. Minami Matsuzaki went three innings and Karasawa finished in the circle for JU.
 
HPU is back in action on Friday for an exhibition doubleheader against Josai at 1 p.m, before officially opening the season with a twinbill against Central Washington on Saturday at noon. The Sharks follow with a double-dip against Simon Fraser on Sunday at noon. All of the contests are at Howard Okita Field on the HPU Hawai'i Loa Campus.