WAIPAHU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University dropped the first game and won the second in splitting a non-conference doubleheader against Drury (Mo.) at Hans L'Orange Park.
 
The Sharks (4-4) fell 9-7 in the first contest, but beat the Panthers (6-5) 2-1 in the 7-inning second game.
 
The Sharks were led offensively by senior first baseman Jared Bannister of San Ramon, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd who went 4-for-7 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI on the day. Senior designated hitter Jake Selco of West Hills, Calif./El Camino Real went 3-for-8 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored. Junior catcher Brandon Booz of Turlock, Calif./Turlock went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI in the first game loss.
 
Junior righthander Evan Spitzer (1-0) of Mesa, Ariz./Desert Ridge collected his first career complete game in winning the second game. Spitzer went all seven innings allowing an unearned run on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
 
Senior lefthander Marc Sauceda (1-1) of Temecula, Calif./Chaparral took the loss in relief in game one. Sauceda threw 2.1 innings allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout. Junior starting righty Brandon Peterson of Stockton, Calif./Excel Academy went 3.2 innings allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Junior righthander Zack McHone of Bakersfield, Calif./Liberty Hills allowed a run on one hit in 2.1 innings of relief, while senior righty Grant Dragmire of Elk Grove, Calif./Bradshaw Christian allowed a hit with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
 
The Sharks and Panthers were neck-and-neck all day.
 
In the first game, Drury plated a run in the first three innings before the Sharks struck back in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from Bannister, a sacrifice fly from junior Braxton Wehrle of Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman and an RBI double from Booz to tie the game at 3-all.
 
The Panthers and Sharks matched runs in the fourth and fifth innings before Selco tripled to leadoff the sixth and scored on Wehrle's second sac fly to go up 6-5.
 
Drury scored two in the top of the seventh on a two-RBI double by Jacob Mitchell for a 7-6 lead. But the Sharks answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth when senior third baseman Joe Gallagher of Sacramento, Calif./Del Campo drove in redshirt freshman pinch runner Jacob Abell of St. Louis, Mo./Parkway North to tie the game at 7-7.
 
But in the top of the ninth, the Panthers got an RBI single from Aaron Mann and an insurance tally as Clayton Engle scored on back-to-back passed balls for the 9-7 lead. HPU got a leadoff runner on base to start the bottom of the ninth, but left him stranded.
 
Bayler Hinz (1-0) got the win in relief, allowing two hits with two strikeouts in an inning and a third. Starter Mason Meeks allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts, while reliever Logan Pittman allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Michael Barnes burled 2.1 innings allowing a run on two hits with three strikeouts.
 
The second game was a pitchers' duel between Spitzer and DU's Andrew Hastings. Drury took advantage of an error in the second followed by two singles, the last an RBI single by DJ McNew for a 1-0 Panther lead. Those singles were two of the three allowed by Spitzer.
 
In the bottom of the third, HPU got a leadoff double by senior shortstop Matt Tsutomi of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City belted a leadoff double and scored on an RBI single by Selco.
 
The game remained knotted until the bottom of the sixth. Bannister led off with a double, but saw a quick out. Bannister moved to third on a passed ball before Hastings threw a wild pitch to score Bannister to give HPU a 2-1 lead. A hit batsman, a single and another wild pitch gave HPU a chance for another run, but Bannister got a pop up to end the inning.
 
In the top of the seventh, Spitzer got the Panthers 1-2-3, striking out a pinch hitting Mitchell to win the game.
 
Hastings (0-1) got a complete game in the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits with a walk and six strikeouts in six innings.
 
The Sharks and Panthers wrap up the five-game series with a rubber match on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Hans L'Orange Park.