WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University fell twice on Saturday to neighbor island foe Hawai'i Hilo 7-4 in a PacWest Conference contest and 13-4 in the non-conference night cap on Military Appreciation Day at Hans L'Orange Park.
 
The Sharks (19-18, 6-14) have lost four straight, while the Vulcans (17-15, 14-10) now have a seven-game winning streak.
 
The Sharks highlights of the day came in the second contest as freshman Kyle Layugan of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute hit the first homer of his career over the left field fence, and junior Matt Tsutomi of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City collected his first career home run with an inside the park homer to right center in the second inning. Freshman Dylan Kurahasi-Choy Foo of Waimanalo, Hawai'i/Kailua notched his first career home run in the fourth.
 
In game one, freshman catcher Kiefer Morgan of Las Vegas, Nev./Shadow Ridge went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored while junior right-fielder Sean Coffey of Boise, Idaho/Centennial went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a sacrifice bunt.
 
Senior righty Tyler Van Stone of Henderson, Nev./Foothill threw 2.0 innings allowing four earned runs on four hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Cole Mayeshiro (1-2) threw 5.0 innings allowing three earned runs on six hit and three walks. He took the loss in game one with three strikeouts. Sophomore Jake Hintze finished out the final 2.0 innings allowing a hit and a walk with two strikeouts.
 
In game two, senior Jordan Gesling (0-2) of Lennox, S.D./Roosevelt threw 2.1 innings allowing four earned runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Sophomore Conlan Myers of Mesa, Ariz./Mountain View pitched two-thirds of an inning allowing three earned runs on three hits and a walk. Senior Ryan Sanchez of Atwater, Calif./Atwater went 2.0 innings allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks with a strikeout. Junior Nick O'Connor threw an inning giving up an unearned run on a hit and a walk. Junior Travis Paynter of Port Angeles, Wash./Port Angeles finished the final inning allowing three earned runs on five hits with a strikeout.
 
UH Hilo started out strong scoring a single run in the first and three runs in the second. In frame one, a double followed by two walks loaded the bases and an infield single scored the first run. Three more runs were added on two hits and three walks.
 
HPU hit the board in the fifth with a lead-off double from Morgan who advanced to third on a Vulcan fielding error. Senior Tanner Tokunaga of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City brought home Morgan with a sacrifice fly.
 
In the sixth inning, senior Jordan Mopas of Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/St. Louis tallied a base hit followed by a walk for junior Jared Bannister of San Ramon, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd. Kurahasi-Choy Foo loaded the bases with a single to center. Morgan walked for the free RBI, and another run scored on a ground out from junior Jalen Bustos of Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd. Coffey tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI single to center.
 
The Vulcans answered in the seventh on two base hits followed by a walk to load the bases. Dylan Sugimoto smashed a bases-clearing three-RBI triple to right center field finalizing the score at 7-4.
 
UHH's Kyle Alcorn pitched 5.0 innings allowing three earned runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Jordan Tagawa faced a single batter and allowed a hit while that runner went on to score. Reliever Brandyn Lee-Lahano (3-0) picked up the win with three strikeouts in two innings allowing a hit with two walks. John Kea finished out the final two innings allowing three hits with three strikeouts in picking up his sixth save.
 
In the non-conference game two, Hilo again struck first with two runs in the second inning with two walked batters that advanced bases on wild pitch and scored on a double from designated hitter Chris Aubort.
 
The Sharks retaliated starting with Bannister singling up the middle and Layugan crushing the ball into the trees behind left field for 2 RBIs and a tie game. Tsutomi came to the plate and ripped a ball to center that bounced high over the centerfielder reaching the fence. Tsutomi flew around the bases and was almost to third by the time the Kyle Yamata managed to get the ball.  Despite a strong throw, Tsutomi raced crossed the plate for a 3-2 Shark lead on the inside the park homer.
 
The Vulcans stole the lead back in the third with two more runs on a pair of RBI singles, and doubled their score in the fourth on three hits, a walk, and a passed ball making it 8-3.
 
HPU added its final run in the fourth on the Kurahasi-Choy Foo round-tripper to pull HPU back to within 8-4.
 
UH Hilo topped their lead with a run a piece in both the fifth and sixth innings extending the deficit to 10-4. And tallied a final three run inning in the seventh to add the salt to the wound.
 
The Vulcan's Christian Sadler (3-3) went six innings giving up four earned runs on 11 hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Devan Elson closed the game striking out two.
 
The Sharks and Vulcans conclude the four-game series and their 13-game season series on Sunday at Hans L'Orange Park with a single nine inning non-conference game at 1:00 p.m.