HONOLULU – Don't count out the Hawai'i Pacific University baseball team just yet, as HPU swept PacWest Hawai'i leader Hawai'i Hilo in a doubleheader for the second straight day, winning 4-3 and 11-2 on Sunday afternoon at Les Murakami Stadium.
 
The Sharks (8-16, 8-12) have now won six of their last seven meetings against the Vulcans (12-11, 12-8), forcing the teams to look at scheduling makeup dates sometime in the next two weeks.
 
The top of the Sharks lineup provided some offensive fireworks on the afternoon as junior centerfielder and leadoff man Diego Harris of Los Angeles, Calif./Crespi went 4-for-7 in the twinbill with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Freshman first baseman and cleanup man Noah Blythe of Santa Clarita, Calif./Canyon continued his red-hot series, going 3-for-7 on Sunday with a double, a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored, while third place hitter sophomore second baseman Richard Higa of Honolulu/University Lab went 3-for-8 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
 
Freshman Max Beaulieu of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga (1-0) got his first win on his first career decision, allowing three runs, two earned on three hits with no walks in 5.1 innings. Sophomore reliever Stone Parker of Kailua, Hawai'i/Kailua notched his first save throwing 3.2 innings of shutout ball allowing one walk with four strikeouts.
 
Freshman Gavin Pringle (3-1) of Duncan, British Columbia, Canada/Cowichan Secondary picked up the win in relief, striking out three and allowing one hit in the final 1.2 innings. Junior Zack McHone of Bakersfield, Calif./Liberty Hills, got a tough luck no decision after hurling 5.1 innings allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. McHone relieved freshman starter Nico Gomez of Stockton, Calif./Saint Mary's who threw six straight balls in his appearance.
 
HPU collected its first two runs of the game on bashes. Senior designated hitter Micah Layosa of Lihue, Hawai'i/Kauai sent a shot over the wall in right for a 1-0 lead on the second pitch offered to him and the third of the game to HPU.
 
In the second, third baseman Joe Gallagher of Sacramento, Calif./Del Campo turned on a two-out, bases empty 1-0 pitch and cleared the park in left field.
 
That homer actually tied the game at 2-2, as the Vulcans took advantage of a throwing error and wild pitch before Bradyn Yoshida smacked a two RBI single up the middle in the top of the second.
 
The Sharks struck again in the fourth, as junior Braxton Wehrle of Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman scored on a sacrifice pop fly for a 3-2 lead. Harris later snuck an RBI double down the right field line to put HPU up 4-2.
 
The Vulcans responded in the fifth when the Sharks hit the UHH leadoff man who scored on an RBI double down the line to make it 4-3.
 
But that's where the scoring stopped, as Parker relieved a tiring Beaulieu in the sixth and shut down UH Hilo. The Vulcans threatened with a single in the ninth, a passed ball and a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third with one out. But Parker struck out the next two Vulcans for the win.
 
Christian DeJesus (1-3) took the loss for UH Hilo, allowing four runs on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts in eight innings. Takashi Umino had a perfect inning in the opener.
 
The second game was a tight affair until the Sharks blew it open with a nine-run sixth to take an 11-2 victory in the seven inning night cap.
 
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third when Higa singled and Blythe tripled him in and scored when a relay throw trying to get Blythe at third skipped into the UH Hilo dugout to give HPU the 2-0 lead.
 
UHH came back with a run in the fourth when a leadoff walk turned into a run on a Rustin Ho single just inside the third base bag to make it 2-1. And in the top of the sixth, a dropped fly ball set up an RBI single for Yoshida to knot the game at 2-2 and keep McHone from the decision.
 
But in the bottom of the sixth, HPU went to work. Blythe led off with a double and Wehrle moved him over and reached on a bunt single. Wehrle stole second after Vulcan starter Jacob Liberta was lifted for Umino, making his fifth appearance in the series. Umino threw wild on a ball four to junior D.J. Stephens of Nanakuli, Hawai'i/Saint Louis School, allowing Blythe to score. But Stephens headed for second and the throw was cut off an nailed Wehrle at the plate for an out as HPU led 3-2. The Vulcans brought in Brandyn Lee-Lehano and the Sharks feasted on him. HPU scored on an RBI fielder's choice sac bunt, but two singles loaded the bases so that a hit bats man scored another run before Higa blasted a two RBI double. Vulcan relief ace John Kea took over and allowed a suicide squeeze bunt RBI and another two RBI single and when the smoke cleared, HPU plated nine runs and held an 11-2 lead.
 
Pringle set the Vulcans down 1-2-3 in the top of the seven for the Sharks win.
 
Liberta (0-2) drew the loss as he was charged with three runs on seven hits despite striking out seven Sharks in five innings of work. Umino allowed a run on a walk to the only batter faced, while Lee-Lehano was hit for six runs on three hits in facing six batters without recording an out. Kea was tagged for one run on a hit with a walk and strikeout in two-thirds of an inning.
 
The Sharks and Vulcans now must get together to decide when to play again. There are four unplayed games between the team and UH Hilo needs one more win to clinch the PacWest Hawai'i pod title and a berth in the PacWest AQ Pod Series in Southern California. HPU can tie for the pod title with four wins, and could go to the series depending on tie breakers. The additional schedule will be announce in the next couple of days.