SAN DIEGO – Hawai'i Pacific University suffered five errors in a PacWest doubleheader on Monday and No. 19 Point Loma took full advantage of them to take both games 8-2 and 5-4 in 10 innings.
The Sharks (20-22, 7-17) and No. 19 Sea Lions (25-12, 13-6) were scheduled to play seven innings in the second contest.
After falling 8-2 in the opener, the Sharks held a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the seventh in the second game. But a leadoff error and an error with the bases loaded scored one run for PLNU and set up a two RBI single to tie the contest and send it to extra innings tied at 4-4. The Sea Lions won the contest in the 10th when Micah Pries, who had already homered three times in the series, blasted a one-out walkoff round-tripper for the 5-4 win.
The Sharks were led on the day by senior centerfielder
Tanner Tokunaga of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City who went 5-for 10 with three runs scored. Senior first baseman
Christian Kapeliela of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Castle was 4-for-8 with a home run and two RBIs. Freshman catcher
Kyle Layugan of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute was 2-for-5 in the second game with two RBIs.
Senior lefthander
Joshua Muneno (2-4) of Honolulu/Maryknoll took the loss in the first games, allowing six runs, three earned, on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts in four innings. Senior righthander
Ryan Sanchez of Atwater, Calif./Atwater struck out two in two innings with three hits, while junior lefty
Nick O'Connor of Las Vegas, Nev./Chaparral went two innings allowing two runs on three hits.
Freshman righty
Shane Adams of Honolulu/Mid-Pacific Institute got a tough no decision in the second game, striking out nine in 6.1 innings while allowing four runs, only one earned, on six hits and a walk. Junior righthanded reliever
Grant Dragmire (1-2) of Elk Grove, Calif./Bradshaw Christian chalked up three strikeouts in three innings, with the home run being one of the two hits he gave up.
The Sharks put up the first run of game one in the first inning. After Tokunaga singled to lead off the game and was singled to second, Kapeliela ripped an RBI single through the left side to put HPU up 1-0.
But the Sea Lions answered in the bottom of the first with a single and a throwing error put two on, Justin Ledgerwood crushed a three-run homer to give PLNU a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Sea Lions did it again, getting runners on with singles ahead of Colby Kaneshiro who belted a three-run homer for a 6-0 lead.
It was Pries in the seventh for PLNU, rocking what was then his third home run of the series for Point Loma and a 7-1 advantage.
HPU produced a second run in the eighth, getting two on to set up an RBI single from junior rightfielder
Sean Coffey of Boise, Idaho/Centennial. However, the next fly out saw the Sharks try to score from third but thrown out at the plate.
Point Loma got the run back in the bottom of the eighth on a single, stolen base with a throwing error advancement and a sacrifice fly for the 8-2 final.
Sterling Strong (4-2) picked up the win for Point Loma, striking out five in seven innings allowing two runs on nine hits. Robert Ortiz III had one strikeout in an inning pitched and John Balliet allowed two walks in working the final inning.
The Sharks grabbed the first four runs of the second game in trying split with the No. 19 Sea Lions.
A leadoff single in the first by Tokunaga came home when senior leftfielder
Jordan Mopas of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/St. Louis School ripped an RBI double down the left field line. Mopas came home on an RBI single from Layugan to lead 2-0.
In the third, Kapeliela turned on a 1-1 pitch with two outs for his fifth home run of the season and his second of the series for a 3-0 lead.
The Sharks final run came in the top of the fifth as Tokunaga singled up the middle to lead off the inning and Layugan racked up his second RBI of the day with single to left with two out. HPU would load the bases afterwards, but could not scratch out another run and led 4-0.
The No. 19 Sea Lions answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1. That's where it stayed until the bottom of the seventh when the Sharks unraveled to allow the score to be tied.
The Sharks had a chance in the top of the 10 with two out when PLNU intentionally walked Tokunaga with runners at second and third, but a ground out ended the threat.
Pries had the game winner two batters later.
Starter Nathan Garkow was let off the hook for PLNU after throwing 4.1 innings allowing four runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Josh Richter tossed 1.1 innings with a strikeout, a walk and two hits. Reliever Nicholas Cornelius (2-0) picked up the win going the final four innings with three strikeouts, a walk and three hits.
The Sharks move into Orange County for their final road games of the season, as they take on Biola in PacWest Conference four-game series starting on Thursday. The opening single game is slated for a Noon HST start (3 p.m. PDT) at Eagles Diamond.
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