HILO, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University returned the favor on Sunday in sweeping Hawai'i Hilo 6-3 and 4-3 to split their PacWest Conference weekend series at George & Marion Hall Stadium.
 
The Sharks (4-15, 4-11) used the twinbill sweep to snap the six-game winning streak of the Vulcans (11-7, 11-4) and put on hold UH Hilo's plans to celebrate a PacWest Hawai'i title. UHH needs two more wins to clinch that honor.
 
HPU was bolstered by the offensive output of sophomore shortstop Richard Higa of Honolulu/University Lab who went 5-for-7 between the two games, with one run and one RBI. Junior rightfielder Braxton Wehrle of Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman went 3-for-6 with two runs, an RBI and three stolen bases. Junior designated hitter Micah Layosa of Lihue, Hawai'i/Kauai was 2-for-4 in the first game with a run and two RBIs.
 
Senior reliever Grant Dragmire of Elk Grove, Calif./Bradshaw Christian, picked up the save in both games to total three for the season. He allowed no runs on one hit in each game, while striking out three and walking two in two and two-thirds innings.
 
Game one sophomore starter Cole Mayeshiro of Mililani, Hawai'i/Mililani (1-1) got his first win of the season, going five innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with two strikeouts. Redshirt freshman Eddie Lee of Honolulu/Kalani hurled two innings of relief allowing one run on three hits, before Dragmire finished the last two innings for the save with a hit and two strikeouts.
 
In the nightcap, freshman starter Max Beaulieu of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga, got no decision, but pitched well allowing one run on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Freshman Gavin Pringle of Duncan, British Columbia, Canada (1-1), got his first win of the season, pitching two innings with two runs on four hits with two strikeouts in two innings. Dragmire closed the game allowing no runs on a walk and a hit with a strikeout.
 
The Sharks took advantage of Vulcan errors in the first two innings to grab three runs, then added two more in the fourth for a 5-0 lead as freshman leftfielder Cole Kashimoto of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Saint Louis School posted an RBI single and Layosa collected a 2-RBI double.
 
The Vulcans added single runs in the fourth sixth and seventh to pull within two at 5-3 before an RBI double in the eighth by senior third baseman Joe Gallagher of Sacramento, Calif./Del Campo made it 6-3.
 
UH Hilo starter Jacob Liberta (0-1) got the loss allowing the first three runs on four hits with a walk in two innings.
 
The seven-inning backend of the twinbill was another early pitchers duel.
 
The game was scoreless in the third when Bradyn Yoshida doubled off the first base bag down the line and was driven in by Chris Aubort's RBI single for the 1-0 lead.
 
UHH starter Christian DeJesus looked strong going into the sixth, but allowed a single to junior centerfielder Diego Harris of Los Angeles, Calif./Crespi and hit Layosa. Vulcan relief ace John Kea came in an promptly gave up an RBI double to sophomore catcher Kyle Layugan of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute to tie the game. After an HPU strikeout, Higa beat out an infield single to shortstop for an RBI to put HPU on top, and Wehrle ripped an RBI single through the left side to give the Sharks a 3-1 advantage.
 
HPU added a run in the top of the seventh, as a Vulcan throwing error on a sacrifice bunt was all freshman second baseman Haydon Huff of Riverside, Calif./Woodcrest Christian needed to scamper home for a 4-1 lead. And HPU would need the run.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Pringle allowed two Vulcan singles and was lifted for Dragmire. A strikeout was followed by a wild pitch and a walk to load the bases. Mason Campbell smashed a 2-RBI single into center field to pull UHH within a run, but Dragmire got Vulcan Miguel Valadez to ground out to third and preserve the victory.
 
The Sharks and Vulcans take next weekend off before playing a five-game series hosted by HPU at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu. The first game of the series is slated for Friday, April 30, at 4 p.m., with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, May 1-2, starting at 11 a.m.