IRVINE, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University started an eight-game road trip with a doubleheader loss at Concordia Irvine 9-6 and 12-4 on Saturday at Eagles Field.
 
The Sharks (16-8, 3-5) made a late comeback in the first game, but allowed a big inning in the second contest in dropping both contests to the Eagles (7-10, 2-0) who opened PacWest Conference play with the wins.
 
Junior Jake Selco of West Hills, Calif./El Camino Real led the HPU offense, going 5-for-7 with a double and three RBIs, while sophomore third baseman Micah Layosa of Lihue, Hawai'i/Kauai went 3-for-7 on the afternoon with 2 RBIs.
 
The Sharks used 10 pitchers in the doubleheader, with game one starter sophomore righthander Evan Spitzer (4-1) of Mesa, Ariz./Desert Ridge picking up the loss after allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings. Senior lefthander Joshua Muneno (2-2) of Honolulu/Maryknoll got the loss in going 3.1 innings with a strikeout and allowing three runs on three hits and two walks.
 
Concordia Irvine jumped out to a 6-0 lead through six innings before HPU got on the board. CUI got two runs in the third on an fly ball error and an RBI single. In the fourth, Nick Grimes posted a two RBI double, and in the sixth Jair Donovan belted a two-run homer to right.
 
HPU got back a run in the top of the seven on a Layosa RBI single to make it 6-1 before the Eagles got a sacrifice fly to push the lead back to 7-1.
 
HPU made it a contest with a five run inning in the eighth. After getting two on freshman shortstop Dylan Kurahasi-Choy Foo of Waimanalo, Hawai'i/Kailua reached on an error that drove in a run. The Sharks loaded the bases ahead of Selco who smashed a three RBI double to right center. After advancing to third after a single, Selco took advantage of a rundown to steal home, pulling the Sharks to within one at 7-6.
 
However the Eagles used two Shark errors and a sacrifice fly to score two insurance runs for the 9-6 differential.
 
CUI's Brett Vansant (2-2) picked up the victory, striking out four Sharks and allowing one run on seven hits with a walk. Matt Lautz allowed five runs, two earned, on three hits and a walk in facing five batters and not recording an inning pitched. Morgan Brannock notched his first save allowing one hit in two innings as he struck out two and walked one.
 
The Eagles broke the scoring seal in the second when Cooper Moore bashed a home run to right field off of Muneno, but the Sharks evened the game at 1-1 in the top of the third when Layosa laid down an RBI bunt to first that scored senior centerfielder Tanner Tokunaga of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City.
 
The Eagles retook the lead with on a Grimes RBI double to right center in the third and added another in the fourth on a sac fly to go up 3-1.
 
The Sharks pulled close again in the fifth, as freshman pinch hitter Kyle Layugan of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute rapped a two-out RBi single to score Tokunaga and bring the Sharks within one at 3-2.
 
CUI added two more in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single before the wheels came off in the sixth.
 
After the Sharks committed two errors that brought home one run and left two on, it was Donovan who got his second round-tripper of the day, smashing a three-run shot to right for an 9-2 lead. The Eagles weren't done yet. Following another single, Moore got his second homer of the game with a two-run shot to center field for an 11-2 Eagle lead.
 
HPU added two in the eighth on a two RBI single from junior Matt Tsutomi of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City for as the Sharks made it 11-4. The Eagles added a final run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI double.
 
Andrew Stout (1-3) got his first win for the Eagles, throwing seven innings with five strikeouts while allowing two runs on 10 hits and a walk.
 
The teams play a second doubleheader on Monday at Eagles Field. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m. HST (Noon PDT).