WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University opened a four-game series on a down note, as neighbor island rival Hawai'i Hilo claimed an 11-5 PacWest Conference victory Friday night at Hans L'Orange Park.
 
The Vulcans (15-15, 13-10) broke a 4-4 tie with the Sharks (19-16, 6-13)  with a four-run fourth and never looked back.
 
Junior Trey Yukumoto of Waiphau, Hawai'i/Leilehua went 2-for-2 in the game including an RBI triple to center field and two walks. Junior Matt Tsutomi of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Junior Jake Selco of West Hills, Calif./El Camino Real went 2-for-4 with and RBI double.
 
Sophomore right-hander Evan Spitzer of Mesa, Ariz./Desert Ridge threw for two innings allowing four runs (only one earned) on three hits with a strikeout. Senior righty Joshua Savea (1-1) of Gold River, Calif./Rio Americano pitched 1.0 inning giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits in taking the loss. Senior Christian Miller of Brementon, Wash./Central Kitsap pitched 1.0 inning allowingtwo hits with two walks and a strikeout. Senior lefty Joshua Muneno threw 3.2 innings allowing three earned runs on six hits with a strikeout. Senior Ryan Sanchez of Atwater, Calif./Atwater pitched the final 1.1 innings putting down all four batters he faced.
 
In an error stricken first inning, UH Hilo put up three runs on one hit and three HPU errors including a double from Russell and two runs scoring on a sacrifice fly with a throwing error.
 
HPU caught a break in the bottom of the first with senior Tanner Tokunaga of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City reaching on a Vulcan fielding error followed by a hit from junior Sean Coffey of Biose, Idaho/Centennial. Jordan Mopas of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/St. Louis brought home Tokunaga with a ground out, and Selco tallied an RBI base hit to left field tying the game at 3-3.
 
Both teams scored a run a piece in the second with HPU's coming from a sacrifice fly by Coffey to bring in Tsutomi making it 4-4.
 
The Vulcans ran away with it in the fourth scoring four runs on four hits including a lead-off triple from Manago and a run scoring on a wild pitch making it 8-4 after four.
 
In the sixth, Tsutomi singled through the left side and Yukumoto cranked a ball to center, and it took a high bounce over the center fielder all the way to fence for three and an RBI bringing the score to 8-5.
UHH took back their four run lead in the seventh on three base hits all up the middle hole making it 9-5. They added two to the lead in the eighth on a hit batter followed by two hits and ground out to scored the second run giving Hilo an 11-5 lead and the final score.
 
UHH's Dylan Spain (3-1) threw 6.0 innings allowing five runs, two earned, on eight hits and two walks. He picked up four strikeouts in taking the win. Brandyn Lee-Lahano struck out four with two hits and two walks in pitching the final three innings for his third save of the year.
 
The Sharks and Vulcans play a doubleheader for Military Appreciation Day on Saturday. The nine-inning PacWest Conference game is set for 1 p.m., with a seven-inning non-conference second game to follow at Hans L'Orange Park.