IRVINE, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University had an eight-run first inning on the way to a 10-5 second game victory over Concordia Irvine to split a PacWest Conference doubleheader at Eagles Field.
 
The Sharks (13-14, 7-9) fell to the Eagles (13-10-1, 7-3) in the first game 13-7 before rolling over the Eagles in the second contest.
 
Senior D.J. Stephens of Nanakuli, Hawai'i/Saint Louis swung the big bat of the day, going 6-for-10 in the twinbill, scoring three runs with two RBI. Junior Richard Higa of Honolulu/University Lab went 2-for-4 in the second game with two RBI.
 
Sophomore Jack O'Brien of San Diego/Westview (3-1) got the win in the second game, allowing five runs on nine hits in six innings, with a walk and four strikeouts. Junior Cole Mayeshiro of Miliani, Hawai'i/Mililani picked up his second save of the season, throwing three perfect innings with one strikeout.
 
HPU junior Markus Ramos of Ewa Beach, Calif./Campbell (2-1) suffered his first loss of the year in the first game, allowing seven runs on seven hits with a walk and a strikeout in two innings.
 
In the second game, HPU scored eight runs in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Haydon Huff of Riverside, Calif./Woodcrest Christian got the RBI single to give the Sharks the lead. But after a two-out catcher's interference extended the inning, HPU broke it open with Higa's two RBI single, and an RBI single from sophomore Jonathan Lucio of Granada Hills, Calif./Kennedy. Then came a pair of bases-loaded hit batsmen and a two RBI single from Stephens. When the dust cleared, HPU held an 8-0 lead. The Sharks added to that in the top of the second with an RBI double from sophomore Cole Kashimoto of Kaneohe, Hawai'i/Saint Louis for a 9-0 advantage.
 
The Eagles got a pair of runs back on a two RBI single in the bottom of the second making it 9-2.
 
HPU got its final run in the fifth on a sacrifice bunt from junior Kyle Layugan of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Mid-Pacific Institute that plated Kashimoto, but a 5-3-2 double play got back runner Higa at the plate to end the inning and denied the RBI.
 
CUI scored two in the fifth on a two-run home run by Michael Dixon, then added a fifth run in the seventh after O'Brien allowed a leadoff triple and an RBI double. Mayeshiro came in from the bullpen and proceeded to take down the next nine batters for the save.
 
Matthew Williams (2-1), who got the win in relief in game one, started game two and was tagged with the loss, allowing seven runs, only one earned, on five hits in two-thirds of an inning.
 
The opening game of the series the complete opposite of the second, with CUI scoring 10 runs in the first three innings. The Eagles scored four in the first, two in the second, and four in the third on 11 hits. The Sharks scored one run in the second when senior Braxton Wehrle of Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman smacked an RBI single.
 
The Sharks rallied for three runs in the fourth and three more in the sixth to pull within three at 10-7. Kashimoto got a sacrifice fly, Kashimoto added an RBI single and later scored on an error in the third. Lucio added a two RBI single and Jio an RBI double to give the Sharks an opening.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Eagles added three more runs on two sacrifice flies and an RBI single for the 13-7 final.
 
Williams went 5.1 innings to get the win in relief of Riley O'Sullivan who only pitched 3.2 innings.
 
The Sharks and Eagles close their four-game series on Saturday with another doubleheader at Eagles Field. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. HST (2 p.m. PDT).