WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University senior pinch hitter Marc Sauceda laced a bases-loaded single to right field that drove in the winning run in the bottom of the last inning for a 4-3 PacWest Conference victory over Fresno Pacific in the seven-inning second game that salvaged a split doubleheader on Monday night at Hans L'Orange Park.
 
The Sharks (16-6, 3-3) dropped the first game to the Sunbirds (5-8, 2-2) 10-8 before getting the final 4-3 win to also split the four-game series with FPU.
 
HPU made it close with FPU in the first game, rallying from a 6-0 deficit, but allowed a three-run top of the ninth before scoring four runs and leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.
 
HPU had let a 3-2 lead get away in the top of the seven in the second game before Sauceda, a senior from Temecula, Calif./Chaparral, provided the heroics to end the contest in the bottom of the seventh. Sauceda hit safely in both of his pinch hit appearances on the evening.
 
The offensive standout for the Sharks was senior first baseman Christian Kapeliela of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Castle who went 4-for-7 for the twinbill with a home run, a triple and a double, two RBIs and four runs scored. Freshman shortstop Dylan Kurahasi-Choy Foo of Waimanalo, Hawai'i/Kailua was 3-for-3 in game one with a run scored and an RBI. Redshirt freshman leftfielder Richard Higa of Honolulu/University Lab was 2-for-3 with a run scored in the second game.
 
Senior righthander Christian Miller of Brementon, Wash./Central Kitsap got no decision after going six innings in the second game allowing two runs, one earned, on just two hits with two strikeouts and five walks. Junior righty Grant Dragmire (1-0) of Elk Grove, Calif./Bradshaw Christian got a blown save, but picked up his first win on the season as he allowed an unearned run on a walk with two strikeouts in an inning pitched.
 
Freshman righthander Shane Adams (3-1) of Honolulu/Mid-Pacific Institute, suffered his first loss of the season in the first game as he allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits with six walks with a strikeout in four innings of work. Junior Brady Johnson of Beaverton, Ore./Westview went two-thirds of an inning allowing two hits with three of Adam's inherited runners scoring. Junior lefty Conlan Myers of Mesa, Ariz./Desert Ridge also saw two-thirds of an inning allowing an earned run on one hit with two walks. Senior righthander Joshua Savea of Gold River, Calif./Rio Americano pitched 2.2 innings allowing an earned run on two hits and a walk while picking up a strikeout. Junior Travis Paynter of Port Angeles, Wash./Port Angeles finished out the final innings allowing two earned runs on three hits with a strikeout.
 
FPU hit the board in the second inning of game one off a base hit and two consecutive HPU errors to give the Sunbirds an early lead. They topped it with another solo run in the fourth on a base hit followed by two walks to load the bases and a final single to bring in the runner for a 2-0 lead.
 
Fresno scored again in the fifth on another HPU fielding error that allowed the runner to get on base and take an additional base. A passed ball followed by two FPU hit batters loaded the bases and a ground out, a base hit, and a sacrifice fly added three runs bringing it to 5-0.
 
The Sunbirds tallied run six on a walk and a triple to right field.
 
HPU finally hit the board in the sixth as senior Jordan Mopas of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/St. Louis School, Kapeliela, and freshman catcher Kyle Layugan of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute, were all consecutively walked to load the bases. Kurahasi-Choy Foo took the sacrifice fly to end the shutout and junior Jalen Bustos of Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd was walked to load the bases again. Kapeliea scored on a passed ball while the runners advanced and pinch hitter Jared Bannister of San Ramon, Calif/Bisop O'Dowd was hit by a pitch. Senior Tanner Tokunaga of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City tallied the RBI single through the left side scoring Layugan and making it 6-3.
 
The Sunbirds added one more run in the seventh on two hits and a walk with a sacrifice fly to score the runner. In the ninth, they tallied three additional runs three hits and the fourth HPU error.
 
The Sharks added their own pair of runs on a Kapeliela's third homer of the season over the left field fence scoring Mopas in the process who had reached on a walk taking it to 10-6, and HPU wasn't going down without a fight. Kurahasi-Choy Foo singled and Gabe Garcia of Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield Christian walked; both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and pinch hitter Jake Selco of West Hills, Calif./El Camino Real was walked to load the bases. Tokuanaga was hit by a pitch for an RBI and Coffey brought in run eight with a sacrifice fly. With the bases loaded on a Layosa walk, the Sharks couldn't find a hole and suffered the close loss.
 
The Sunbirds Justin Fuson (2-2) pitched five innings without allowing a run on four hits with three strikeouts for his second win of the season. Josh Acosta allowed three runs (two earned) on three walks and Tyler Rumbaugh pitched for a third of an inning walking one and hitting the other batter faced. Carson Schellenberg allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 2.2 innings, while Brian Hefner threw for a third of an inning allowing an earned run on a hit with two walks and a hit batter. Garrett Cooper picked up his first save pitching the final two outs.
 
In game two, HPU struck first with Garcia hitting through the left side for a single. Higa tallied his first collegiate hit advancing Garcia, and Tokunaga cranked a shot to left center for a base hit scoring run one. Coffey brought in Higa with a sacrifice fly making it 2-0 Sharks.
 
FPU grabbed a rebuttal run in the third on a double, a ground out, and another base hit.
 
In the sixth the Sunbirds scored on a two-base HPU fielding error followed by a fly out to advance the runner to third. A close safe call at first as part of what would have been a double play ending the inning allowed the tying run to score.
 
The Sharks replied with a Kapeliela double to left center field, and a Kurahasi Choy-Foo sacrifice to advance him to third before Bannister's pinch hit RBI single up the middle.
 
Fresno tied it up in the seventh on a Shark fielding error and a passed ball that scored the tying run.
 
The Sharks answered that run in the bottom of the final frame as Coffey started off the seventh with a single through the right side, and Mopas followed suit with a perfectly placed base knock over the second baseman placing runners on first and third. The Sunbirds intentionally walked Kapeliela to load the bases, and Sauceda "sauced" the winning run with the hit to right field closing it out at 4-3.
 
FPU's Alex Garcia pitched 5.2 innings allowing three earned runs on eight hits with a walk and two strikeouts and got no decision. Cooper (0-1) returned to pitch the final inning and a third for the loss allowing the winning run on three hits and a walk.
 
The Sharks hit the road for their eight-game southern California road swing. They open the tour on Saturday against Concordia Irvine with a doubleheader at Eagles Field match up scheduled for 9 a.m. HST (11 a.m. PST).