HONOLULU – Hawai'i Pacific University won its fifth straight with a 5-3 triumph over PacWest Hawai'i leader Hawai'i Hilo on Friday night at Les Murakami Stadium.
 
The Sharks (9-16, 9-12) kept their hopes for a PacWest Hawai'i title alive, while keeping the Vulcans (12-12, 12-9) from celebrating a pod championship and ending HPU's season.
 
Senior designated hitter Micah Layosa of Lihue, Hawai'i/Kauai smacked a two RBI single through the left side of the infield to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh to put the Sharks in the lead for good, while freshman righthanded reliever Gavin Pringle of Duncan, British Columbia, Canada/Cowichan Secondary retired all four batters he faced, three by strikeout, for his first career save.
 
Junior shortstop D.J. Stephens of Nanakuli, Hawai'i/Saint Louis School, went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs, while junior centerfielder Diego Harris of Los Angeles, Calif./Crespi and sophomore second baseman Richard Higa of Honolulu/University Lab both went 2-for-4 on the night.
 
Junior righthander Brandon Peterson (2-4) of Stockton, Calif./Excel Academy got the win in relief, allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts. Sophomore Cole Mayeshiro of Mililani, Hawai'i/Mililani got the start, allowing two runs of seven hits and three walks with one strikeout in three innings.
 
Pringle shut down the Vulcans to close the game and now has six shutout innings over his last three appearances, allowing three hits and striking out eight.
 
UH Hilo appeared to take a lead in the top of the first when Jaren Kanbara drove a two-out hit off the top of the wall in left field that was at first ruled a home run. But when questioned, the umpires huddled and eventually ruled it a ground rule double. Kanbara was stranded and the game remained scoreless.
 
In the top of the third, the Vulcans scored two runs on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single to go up 2-0.
 
That held until the bottom of the fourth. UHH starter Kyle Alcorn no-hit HPU through three innings, but the Sharks singled twice to open the fourth, and scored on an RBI double from freshman first baseman Noah Blythe of Santa Clarita, Calif./Canyon. Stephens followed with a two RBI single up the middle to put HPU on top 3-2.
 
The Vulcans evened the score at 3-3 in the top of the seventh when Lawson Faria rapped an RBI double.
 
But HPU responded in the bottom of the inning, with two singles setting up Layosa to pick up the winning runs.
 
UH Hilo got a runner on in the eighth thanks to a dropped popup, but Pringle came in with two out to get a strikeout to end the threat, then returned in the ninth to send the Vulcans packing 1-2-3 and striking out the last two batters.
 
Vulcan reliever Brandyn Lee-Lehano (3-2) got the loss allowing two runs on four hits with a strikeout. Starter Kyle Alcorn allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts in four innings. Christian Sadler gave up two hits with a strikeout in two innings, while Takashi Umino finished the game, with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
 
With a win, the Sharks stay alive to face the Vulcans on Saturday at Noon at Les Murakami Stadium. Should HPU win again, the teams play again at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, while a UH Hilo win ends the season for the Sharks and cancels the remaining games scheduled for the weekend.