KANEOHE, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University bounced back on Wednesday afternoon sweeping both games of a PacWest Conference doubleheader from Academy of Art with 3-1 scores at Howard Okita Field.
 
The Sharks (29-22, 20-12) snapped their four-game skid and ended the Urban Knights (13-12, 9-6) five-game win streak.
 
HPU got a pair of strong pitching performances, with junior righthander Emilee Leonard of LaMirada, Calif./Saint Paul racked up six strikeouts in a two-hit complete game in the second contest. Leonard (9-8) allowed one unearned run and two walks in picking up her 10th complete game of the season. Leonard performed the feat after senior righthander Jordan Curry (18-8) of Farmington, N.M./Farmington tossed her 21st complete game in allowing one run on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts in the twinbill's opener.
 
Junior third base Sierra Dias of Mililani, Hawai'i/Bishop Gorman went 3-for-6 with two runs scored. Freshman second base Brandi Leong of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua went 3-for-3 in the first game with an RBI and a run scored. Leonard was 2-for 3 in the second game with a double and RBI to help her own cause.
 
HPU opened the day on a strong note, setting the Urban Knights down 1-2-3 in the top of the first, then getting a leadoff triple by Dias. Leong followed with an RBI single and the Sharks led 1-0.
 
The Sharks extended that lead with an additional run in the second. Sophomore centerfielder Cieana Curran of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/Campbell picked up an infield single and stole second. Senior shortstop Tiana Cantero-Kawelo of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua brought home Curran with another hard hit infield single as Curran was running on the pitch to up the score to 2-0..
 
The Sharks scored their final run in the fifth with a Leong double to left center. Freshman leftfielder Noel Saunders of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City followed with an RBI single up the middle scoring Leong for a 3-0 HPU lead.
 
ART U broke the shut out scoring on an HPU throwing error on a stolen base attempt, but a base hit turned the run to earned. The Sharks held solid defense throughout the rest of the game for the 3-1 victory.
 
Academy's Hannah Rose Balke (5-8) threw six innings allowing three earned runs on ten hits with a walk and three strikeouts to take the loss in game one.
 
The Urban Knights got the first score of game two, despite Leonard's pitching. The Urban Knights picked up one of their two singles from Lauryn Henderson who scored from first on a two-out fly ball that was dropped when Sharks fielders ran into each other.
 
The 1-0 lead held until the fourth when the Sharks struck for all three runs. After Dias opened the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second. She moved to third on a single by Saunders. When Saunders stole second, the ART U catcher's throw to the bag went into centerfield allowing Dias to score. Another ART U error put two on for Leonard to drive in the go-ahead run with an RBI single. The Sharks added a third on an RBI single from junior rightfielder Miki Takara of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Maryknoll for the 3-1 lead.
 
Leonard performed her mastery on the Urban Knights to guide the Sharks to their second win of the day.
 
ART U's Cecilia Lopez (7-4) got the loss, going four innings allowing three unearned runs on six hits. Haley Arnold-Jolley allowed two hits in two innings of relief.
 
The Sharks are back in action Saturday to face crosstown rival Chaminade in a PacWest doubleheader. The first pitch is scheduled for Noon at Howard Okita Field.