WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University suffered two of its three errors in the eighth inning that led to a run to give neighbor island rival Hawai'i Hilo a 5-4 non-conference victory on Sunday at Hans L'Orange Park.
 
The Sharks (19-19) were swept in the four-game series and have now lost five straight, while the Vulcans (18-15) are on an eight-game winning streak and won the season series with the Sharks 7-6.
 
The Sharks were paced at the plate by junior rightfielder Sean Coffey of Boise, Idaho/Centennial who was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. He was the only Shark with more than one hit on the day. Junior designated hitter Jake Selco of West Hills, Calif./El Camino Real was 1-for-5 with an RBI double and a run scored.
 
Freshman righthander Shane Adams (3-2) of Honolulu/Mid-Pacific Institute got the hard-luck loss, allowing six hits with a walk and four strikeouts in seven innings and a batter. He was charged with all five runs, four unearned, including the final tally in the eighth. Senior righty Josh Savea of Gold River, Calif./Rio Americana faced three batters in a third of an inning, with senior righthander Tyler Van Stone of Henderson, Nev./Foothill got two outs with two batters faced and junior righty Grant Dragmire of Elk Grove, Calif./Bradshaw Christian got a strikeout and a walk in facing three batters in working a three-batter ninth inning.
 
The Vulcans got five innings from starter Travis Burleson who allowed all four runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts. Reliever Brandyn Lee-Lahano (4-0) picked up the win with a strikeout and a hit in three innings, while John Kea grabbed his seventh save with a strikeout in the working a perfect ninth.
 
After failing to score in the first after loading the bases, the Sharks plated the first two runs of the game in the bottom of the second. Junior shortstop Matt Tsutomi of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City was hit by a pitch and freshman infielder Dylan Kurahasi-Choy Foo singled to set up Coffey's two RBI triple into the left field corner for the 2-0 lead.
 
The Vulcans answered in the top of the third using a single, a stolen base and a wild pitch to setup outfielder Rustin Ho's RBI single to cut the lead to 2-1.
 
UH Hilo took the lead in the fourth after a hit batsman and a double gave Jaren Kanbara the opportunity for a two RBI single down the left field line for a 3-2 advantage. The Vulcans made it 4-2 in the fifth when Kobie Russell sent the first pitch he faced over the left field fence for his fourth home run of the season.
 
HPU answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth. Senior first baseman Christian Kapeliela of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Castle reached on an error and scored on Selco's RBI double. Tsutomi followed with an RBI single to right center that tied the score at 4-4.
 
The game remained scoreless until the eighth, when Vulcan left fielder Dylan Sugimoto was hit by a pitch that caused Adams to be lifted from the game. Reliever Savea tried to pick him off but threw wildly, and Sugimoto advanced to third. The Sharks got a bit of luck when Chris Aubort sent a shot toward third that got through the third baseman. Shortstop Tsutomi got to the ball behind the third base bag and fired home in time to nail Sugimoto. However Aubort reached on the fielders' choice. A second ground ball to third ended up with a throwing error in a double-play attempt moved Aubort to third. A ground ball out by Kyle Yamada drove in Aubort with the go ahead run.
 
HPU managed only a single in the eighth the rest of the way.
 
The Sharks travel to southern California next weekend, opening the eight-game trip with a doubleheader next Saturday at Point Loma. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m. HST (Noon PDT) at Land Stadium.