AZUSA, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University answered the bell on Saturday with a PacWest Conference doubleheader sweep of Azusa Pacific 8-7 and 8-0 (5 innings) at Cougar Softball Complex.
 
The Sharks (17-11, 11-3) turned the table on the Cougars (7-7, 4-2) from Friday and snapping APU's four-game win streak.
 
Senior shortstop Tiana Cantero-Kawelo of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua lead the charge for the Sharks going 5-for-7 in the two games with three RBIs and two runs scored. Senior pitcher/utility player Jordan Curry (11-3) of Farmington, N.M./Farmington went 4-for-6 between the two games with three RBI and three runs scored on top of her game one win.

Curry (11-3) pitched all seven innings for her 10th complete game and her 11th win of the year. She allowed seven earned runs on 13 hits with two walks. In the second game, junior righthander Emilee Leonard (4-3) of La Mirada, Calif./Saint Paul showcased her finesse allowing just two hits with two strikeouts in five innings. She threw a total of 60 pitches in her second shutout of the season.


The Sharks topped the lead with four runs in the fourth inning changing the pace of the game. Both Brandi Leong of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua and Leonard were walked to get on base and advanced their bases on a wild pitch. This set up Curry for an RBI single through the left side. Hailey McKim of Linn, Mo./Linn was walked to load the bases and Ashley Iseri of Cerritos, Calif./Whitney took a ground out scoring Leonard. Cantero-Kawelo scored Curry and Iseri with a double to left field giving the Sharks a 4-3 lead.
 
Azusa tied it in the fifth with a lead off double and another base hit to score the runner.
The Sharks got a bit of a break in the sixth with Leong singling to left field, stealing second, and scoring on a Cougar throwing error.
 
HPU added three more runs to their lead in the seventh. The Cougars two hit batters and walked three more in the inning as McKim tallied the Sharks only base hit RBI bringing it to 8-4 Sharks.
 
The Cougars almost tied the game, but fell short scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh on three hits with two runs scored on wild pitches.
 
APU's Racqual Espinoza (4-4) threw for 6.1 innings allowing eight runs, seven earned on seven hits with five walks. She picked up three strikeouts but took her fourth loss on the season. Megan Mejia threw the final two outs allowing a hit and a walk.


In the second game, it took three scoreless innings before HPU opened up batting practice on the Cougars. The Sharks tacked on seven runs in the fourth. An early strikeout was followed by nine consecutive hits including doubles from Leonard and freshman Leipua Kaui of Kapa'a, Hawai'i/Kapa'a and a triple from junior Sierra Dias of Mililani, Hawai'i/Bishop Gorman.
 
They finalized the eight-run rule in the fifth with Curry tallying another base hit and sophomore centerfielder Cieana Curran of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell getting her fifth double of the year to place runners on second and third. Dias picked up an infield base hit to score Curry and finalize the game at 8-0.
 
The Cougar's Kat Ung (1-5) pitched 3.1 innings in the loss allowing seven earned runs on ten hits with a walk and a strikeout. Jahzell Estrada pitched 1.2 innings allowing an earned run on a hit with a walk and one strikeout.

HPU continues their southern California trip visiting Biola for a four game series at Freedom Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. HST (4 p.m. PDT) on Monday.