ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Hawai'i Pacific University baseball team was its own worst enemy on Saturday as HPU committed six errors that allowed Dixie State to take both games of a PacWest Conference doubleheader 5-4 in 11 innings and 9-5 in the seven-inning nightcap at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
The Sharks (11-11, 5-9) committed five errors as all five runs for the Trailblazers (11-17, 7-11) were unearned in the 11-inning first game, then another error gave DSU its first runs in the second.
 
HPU got a strong offensive day from senior first baseman Christian Kapeliela of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Castle, who went 4-for-6 on the day (2-for-3 in both games), with a home run, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Junior leftfielder Jordan Mopas of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/St. Louis was 3-for-7 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs.
 
The Sharks and Trailblazers needed extra innings to decide the first game.
 
After Dixie State turned errors into runs in the second and third innings to go up 2-0, the Sharks came back in the top of the fourth. After senior infielder/designated hitter Wyatt Hoppie of Orange, Calif./Villa Park led off the inning with a single, Kapeliela bashed a one-out shot over the eight-foot wall in left to tie the game at two. HPU added back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners for senior shortstop Mitchell Bumann of Corona, Calif./Temescal Canyon to lay down a perfect sacrifice bunt on a safety squeeze to give the Sharks a 3-2 advantage.
 
But DSU came back in the bottom of the fourth. After a double and a walk, back-to-back errors by the Sharks allowed the Trailblazers to plate Tyler Hollow and Gabe Taylor to score and reclaim the lead 4-3.
 
The Sharks made a comeback in the top of the eighth inning when Kapeliela singled up the middle and was replaced by redshirt freshman pinch runner Joe Morin of Upland, Calif./Upland. A sacrifice bunt and a single moved Morin to third and when Bumann was hit by a pitch, loaded the bases. Senior rightfielder Ryan Torres-Torioka of Holualoa, Hawai'i/Konawaena sent the first pitch to right field as a sacrifice fly to drive in Morin to tie the contest at 4-all.
 
The game went into extra innings, where HPU had a shot in the top of the 11th as Torioka doubled and advanced on an infield groundout to third. However he was stranded as the inning ended.
 
In the Dixie 11th, a leadoff fielding error allowed Logan Porter to reach. Following a walk and single, the Trailblazers had the bases loaded with one out when Jake Davison poked a 3-2 pitch into left field to drive home the game winning run.
 
HPU tallied 12 hits against DSU starter Jayden Murry, who went 6.1 innings with three runs on nine hits and two strikeouts. Winner Tanner Howell (3-1) pitched 4.2 innings in relief, allowing one run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
 
HPU senior righthander Tyler Van Stone of Henderson, Nev./Foothill, pitched 5.1 innings allowing four unearned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and four walks, before handing off to senior righty Evan-Thomas May of Buena Park, Calif./Oxford Academy who allowed one hit in 4.2 innings with two Ks and three walks. Sophomore righthanded reliever Evan Spitzer of Mesa, Ariz./Desert Ridge (0-1) took the loss allowing the one unearned run on two hits and a walk.
 
HPU took an early lead in the second game as Kapeliela opened the second with a double to center field and freshman designated hitter Micah Layosa of Lihue, Hawai'i/Kauai laced a one-out double to the fence in left center to drive in Kapeliela for a 1-0 lead.
 
It was short-lived as DSU as a double down the left field line by Jake Engel followed by a throwing error to first on an attempted sacrifice bunt tied the game by Joe Raymond tied the game and sent Raymond to second. He moved to third on a successful sacrifice, then scored on a suicide squeeze sacrifice bunt by Ben Petty-Hull to put Dixie up 2-1 with the unearned runs.
 
In the bottom of the third, the Trailblazers broke the game open with four runs thanks to a bases loaded walk, a bases loaded wild pitch, and a two-RBI single by Raymond. DSU added another run in the fourth with an RBI single.
 
The Sharks got one back in the top of the fifth when Layosa put a shot in the trees beyond the left field fence for his first home run of the season.
 
Dixie countered with an RBI single for one run and got another on a caught stealing rundown that allowed a second to come in to go up 9-2 after five.
 
The highlight hit for HPU came in the top of the sixth, after singles by Hoppie and Kapeliela. Mopas crushed a 1-1 pitch high and deep, clearing the trees and an access road in left field that brought the Sharks within four a 9-5.
 
HPU never got another runner on base in the seven inning contest.
 
Sharks junior lefthanded starter Marc Sauced of Temecula, Calif./Chaparral (2-2) took the loss going 2.1 innings with six runs – four earned – on two hits and three walks. Junior righthander Jordan Gesling of Lennox, S.D./Roosevelt, finished allowing three runs on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 3.2 inns.
 
Matt Mosca (3-3) picked up the win, throwing five innings with two runs on five hits and three strikeouts. Brecken Lewis allowed three runs on three hits in working a third of an inning in the sixth, with Tyler Rosas closing it out by pitching 1.2 innings of hitless ball with a strikeout and a walk.
 
The Sharks and Trailblazers play again on Sunday with a single game at 10 a.m. HST (2 p.m. MDT) at Hurst Field and conclude the series on Monday with a 2 p.m. HST (6 p.m. MDT) single game.