HONOLULU — Hawai'i Pacific University had a tough inning in game one and dropped a heartbreaker in game two as No. 25 California Baptist beat the Sharks 4-0, then 7-3 in nine innings to take both ends of a PacWest Conference doubleheader on Thursday at Sand Island Park.
 
The Sharks (9-9, 4-8) battled the Lancers (21-4, 13-1) at every turn, but the PacWest co-leader kept HPU at bay.
 
The Sharks and Lancers through the first two innings before CBU broke the game open in the third. After Cheyann Tucker singled down the third base line, Anise Avalos reached when she was hit with a throw to first after laying down a sacrifice bunt that advanced Avalos to second and sent Tucker to third. Amanda Springstead collected an RBI ground out, followed by a two RBI double from Hannah Thieroff put CBU up 3-0.
 
HPU held the Lancers without a run again until the top of the seventh when a leadoff double led to Soraya Shahbazian's RBI single to pad the Lancer lead to 4-0.
 
HPU was held to just three hits in the game, two in the third when HPU threatened but stranded a runner at third.
 
CBU starter Ciara Stapp (10-2) went the distance for the shutout, striking out seven, allowing one walk and the three hits.
 
HPU junior Jordan Curry of Farmington, N.M./Farmington, pitched another complete game allowing four runs – two earned – with six hits, two walks and a strike out in the loss.
 
The second contest was a roller coaster of emotions for the Sharks as blew up in the ninth inning to lose 7-3.
 
CBU strung three singles together to lead off the game as Ali Subia collected the RBI single to go up 1-0. The Lancers followed with another in the second as Manoa Weijgertse drew a bases-loaded RBI walk to go up 2-0.
 
The Sharks answered in the second with freshman catcher Taylor Okamura of Henderson, Nev./Coronado singled to center and Curry, playing first, ripped a ball through the left side of the infield. Then with two out, freshman Cieana Curran of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell, hit the first pitch she saw over the right field fence for a three RBI home run for her third round tripper of the season.
 
It looked like the Sharks would make those runs stand, but in the top of the sixth starter Alexis Morales of San Diego, Calif./Mater Dei Catholic, walked two Lancers with one out and gave way to senior Gabriella Nowack of San Jose, Calif./Silver Creek. CBU's Caitlyn Lloyd greeted Nowack with an RBI double to tie the game, then Nowack shut down inning.
 
The teams fought through the seventh and eighth innings and started the ninth just before a facility curfew was to kick in.
 
That's when the 25th ranked Lancers took advantage of a walk, a smash single off the glove of Nowack and an RBI single from Subia to grab a 4-3 lead. Halle Rosario followed by bashing the next pitch over the fence in left center to effectively end the contest with the three-run homer for a 7-3 lead.
 
Nowack (1-3) took the loss, going 3.2 innings allowing six hits and four runs with a walk. Starter Morales went 5.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits with six walks and a strikeout.
 
CBU's Kellye Springstead (10-2) went all nine innings, allowing three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts.
 
The Sharks conclude their 18-game season-opening homestand with the loss. HPU is off until next weekend when they travel to the mainland to play in the Turlock CVB Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif. HPU meets Cal State Dominguez Hills in one of the first games of the tournament on Friday at 6 a.m. HST (9 a.m. PDT).