HILO, Hawai'i – Blowouts were the theme on Friday as Hawai'i Pacific University opened the PacWest Conference season by splitting a doubleheader at Hawai'i Hilo on Friday at Wong Stadium.
 
The Sharks (6-1, 1-1) took the seven inning nightcap 11-3, as the Vulcans (1-1, 1-1) opened their season with a 10-3 triumph in the first game.
 
Shark leadoff man junior rightfielder Sean Coffey of Boise, Idaho/Centennial was 3-for-9 for the day with an RBI and four runs, and senior first baseman Christian Kapeliela of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Castle was 3-for-8 with an RBI and three runs scored.
 
Senior lefthander Joshua Muneno of Honolulu, Hawai'i/Maryknoll (1-0) allowed three early runs in the second game before settling in and picking up his first win going 4.2 innings with five hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Senior Tyler Van Stone of Henderson, Nev./Foothill threw a perfect 2.1 innings with three strikeouts to finish the second game.
 
In the second game, UH Hilo jumped out early using a two RBI double from Jaryn Kanbara for a 2-0 lead after one inning. But in the second, junior Jake Selco of West Hills, Calif./El Camino Real answered jacking a two-run homer to right field to tie the game at 2.
 
UHH added a Kyle Yamada sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to retake the lead. The Sharks would get the lead for the first time in the third scoring two runs without a hit. Kapeliela brought home a run by reaching on a dropped fly ball, then scored on a ground out from Selco.
 
HPU broke the game open with a five run fourth inning, with an RBI single from Coffey and a two RBI single from junior Gabriel Garcia of Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield Christian. HPU also added two other runs on errors by the Vulcans.
 
HPU added two more in the seventh thanks to a pair of errors by the Vulcans for the 11-3 final.
 
The first game of between the teams was all UH Hilo, winning 10-3.
 
The Vulcans broke open the scoreless game in the third inning by plating eight runs. Dylan Sugimoto picked up two RBIs in two at-bats in the inning with a single and a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Other RBIs were delivered by Yamata, Casey Yamauchi, Kobie Russell, Kanbara, RJ Romo and Mana Manago. Romo added an RBI single in the fourth and an RBI double in the eighth.
 
HPU runs were scored on Kapeliela's RBI ground rule double in the sixth, and a two RBI double by senior leftfielder Jordan Mopas of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell in the seventh.
 
Senior starting righthander Christian Miller of Brementon, Wash./Central Kitsap (0-1) was tagged with his first loss, with six runs on six hits with no strikeouts as he pitched into the third with no outs. Senior Joshua Saveaof Gold River, Calif./Rio Americano did not record an out allowing two runs on two hits, with senior Marc Suceda pitching one inning with two strikeouts and junior Brady Johnson pitching 5.0 innings with six hits and two runs with three stikeouts.
 
Kyle Alcorn picked up the win allowing a run on three hits in 5.2 innings.
 
The Sharks and Vulcans resume the series on Saturday, with a non-conference doubleheader at Wong Stadium starting at 3 p.m. The pair conclude the series on Sunday with a single game at 2 p.m.
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