WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University senior Jordan Mopas bashed a two-out, walk-off home run to beat Academy of Art 5-4 in the nightcap of a PacWest doubleheader after HPU won 13-1 in the first game Saturday at Hans L'Orange Park.
 
The Sharks (18-14, 5-11) snapped an eight-game losing streak in the process, while the Urban Knights (11-9, 3-6) are on a three-game losing skid.
 
Mopas, the senior left fielder from Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/St. Louis School sent a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence in the final inning of the seven-inning second game for his team-leading sixth homer of the season. He was 2-for-7 on the day, but racked up three RBIs.
 
Senior first baseman Christian Kapeliela of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Castle was 3-for-4 in the first game with two RBI and one run scored. In game two, both sophomore third baseman Micah Layosa of Lihue, Hawai'i/Kauai and freshman catcher Kiefer Morgan of Las Vegas, Nev./Shadow Ridge went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
 
Sophomore righthander Evan Spitzer of Mesa, Ariz./Desert Ridge (5-2) struck out seven with a walk as he got the first game win allowing one earned run on seven hits in seven innings. Freshman righthander Cole Mayeshiro of Mililani, Hawai'i/Mililani came in to close allowing two hits and a walk in the final two innings.
 
Senior righty Christian Miller of Brementon, Wash./Central Kitsap (2-2) picked up the second game win in relief allowing a run off a hit with two walks and two strikeouts. Junior lefthanded starter Nick O'Connor of Las Vegas, Nev./Chaparral threw the first 2.1 innings allowing two runs on five hits with a strikeout. Senior righthander Joshua Savea of Gold River, Calif./Rio Americano threw three innings allowing a run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Junior righty Travis Paynter of Port Angeles, Wash./Port Angeles faced two batters walking one.
 
In the first contest, the Sharks put up a bucket full of eight runs in the first three frames. Senior centerfielder Tanner Tokunaga of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City and junior Sean Coffey of Boise, Idaho/Centennial both started off with singles and Kapeliela smashed an RBI double off the left field fence. Junior Jake Selco of West Hills, Calif./El Camino Real scored the second run with a sacrifice fly.
 
Keeping the momentum going into the second frame, Junior Trey Yukumoto of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua and Tokunaga both tallied base knocks, and Coffey tallied the RBI double to right center. Kapeliela singled through the left side scoring Tokunaga, and Selco found his RBI single through the right side making it 5-0.
 
Art U was able to take away the shutout in the top of the third with a walk, a stolen base, and an RBI single to center field.
 
In the bottom of the third inning, Layosa started things off with a base hit followed by junior Jared Bannister of San Ramon, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd picking up an RBI double to right center. Yukumoto took the sacrifice fly to score him, and Tokunaga crushed his first homer of the season over the left field fence for an 8-1 Shark lead.
 
HPU sealed the deal in the sixth with five more runs on four big hits including doubles from Mopas and junior Jalen Bustos of Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd, and a triple from junior Nate Affonso of Graham, Wash./Graham-Kapowsin.
 
ARTU's Ben Kaser (2-4) took the loss as he threw 1.2 innings giving up five earned runs on eight hits with a strikeout. Caden Spilsbury pitched 3.2 innings allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and two walks. Jayson Summers went 1.2 innings allowing one run on a hit, and Ben Clegg finished the final inning.
 
In game two, the Urban Knights hit the board first with two runs in the second innings on two base hits followed by a double. They added another run in the fourth frame coming from a lead-off triple by Zach May and a base hit to drive him home making it 3-0.
 
HPU kicked it up a notch tying the game at three in the bottom of the fourth. Layosa started it with a base hit to center field followed by another knock from Morgan. Junior shortstop Matt Tsutomi of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City brought in the first run with a double down the left field line, and Yukumoto tied the game with his two RBI crank to center field.
 
Miller came in to close the sixth with the baes loaded setting up the win for the Sharks.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Morgan doubled to right center, advanced to third on a ground out, and was brought home with an RBI single from Tokunaga.
 
The Urban Knights rallied to tie the game at 4-4 with a pinch hit RBI double from Noah Daubin after a walk, sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch..
 
The Sharks were down to their last out in the top of the seventh following a strikeout and fly out that set up Mopas' heroics as he belted his fourth career walk off home run for the 5-4 Shark victory.
 
ARTU's Mason Verhees pitched 3.2 innings allowing three earned runs on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Gonzo Rios (4-2) took the loss in relief giving up two runs in 3.0 innings on three hits with three strikeouts.
 
The Sharks and Urban Knights play game three of the four-game series Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Hans L'Orange Park.