ST. GEORGE, Utah – Hawai'i Pacific University plated six runs in the seventh inning to break a 4-4 tie as the Sharks rolled to a 12-6 win over Dixie State in PacWest Conference play on Sunday at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
The Sharks (12-11, 6-9) tallied 13 hits in the game for the 12 runs in beating the Trailblazers (11-18, 7-12) as HPU collected its first victory on the mainland since a 6-4 win at then 20th ranked Dixie State on April 23, 2016.
 
HPU senior first baseman Christian Kapeliela of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Castle led the charge for the Sharks, going 4-for-6 at the plate with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Senior third baseman Wyatt Hoppie of Orange, Calif./Villa Park was 2-for-3 with three walks, scoring three runs and one RBI, while senior shortstop Mitchell Bumann of Corona, Calif./Temescal Canyon had a pair of doubles in a 2-for-4 day, with a walk, a run scored and two RBIs.
 
Senior righthander Billy Clemens of Tempe, Ariz./Corona Del Sol improved to 3-2 on the year with the win, allowing five runs – only two earned – on six hits with two strikeouts and four walks in seven innings. Junior righthander Christian Miller of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Castle, threw one-third of an inning with a hit and a walk, while junior lefthander Joshua Muneno of Honolulu/Maryknoll finished the game with a run on three hits and a strikeout in 1.2 innings.
 
HPU got on the board first when Kapeliela led off the second with a double to left center and scored on an RBI single by senior designated hitter Codi Santana of Oxnard, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS.
 
The Trailblazers came back to take advanatage of two infield errors to grab a 3-1 lead. A one-out infield single and throwing error allowed Joe Raymond to reach second. A groundout and RBI single from Tyler Hollow put one run up. After a hit batter put two on, a throwing error on a grounder by Alec Flemetakis allowed two more to score.
 
HPU responded with a three-run inning to retake the lead with sophomore Trey Yukumoto of Waipahu, Hawai'i/Leilehua opening the inning by reaching on fielding error. Junior centerfielder Tanner Tokunaga singled and Hoppie walked to load the bases with one out. Kapeliela singled home Yukumoto for one run and Santana later followed with a two out, two run single up the middle to play Tokunaga and Hoppie.
 
Dixie State answered in the bottom of the third with an RBI double by Raymond to knot the game at 4-4.
 
Despite opportunities for both teams, the game remained tied until the seventh.
 
HPU opened with a leadoff double from Hoppie off of Dixie State reliever Brayden Bonner who started the inning. Kapeliela added a single before a sacrifice fly from junior leftfielder Jordan Mopas of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/St. Louis High gave HPU the lead at 5-4. Senior catcher Kreston Woods of Tempe, Ariz./DeNiza walked and Bumann laced a line drive down the third base line for a 2-RBI double for a 7-4 lead. A four-pitch walk to senior Froy Smith set up Tokunaga for an RBI single. A walk to senior rightfielder Ryan Torres-Torioka of Holualoa, Hawai'i/Konawaena loaded the bases for Hoppie, who drew an RBI walk. Kapeliela picked up his second single of the inning, this with an RBI, to put HPU up 10-4 and finish the six-run inning.
 
Dixie plated a run in the bottom of the eighth on a bases loaded walk and later added a RBI double by Jake Engel in the ninth.
 
The Sharks scored twice in the ninth on Mopas' second sacrifice fly of the game and a fielding error at shortstop on a one-hopper by junior pinch hitter Gabriel Garcia of Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield Christian that plated HPU's 12th run of the day.
 
Trailblazer reliever Bonner (0-3) got his third loss of the year allowing four runs on three hits with a walk in 0.2 innings. Starter Chandler Greenfield went 2.2 innings for DSU with four runs – one earned – on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts. In all, the Trailblazers used seven pitchers in the contest with two runs allowed by both Jake Reed and Jack Gonzales.
 
HPU and Dixie State wrap up the series on Monday with a single game slated for 2 p.m. HST (6 p.m. MDT) at Bruce Hurst Field.