LA MIRADA, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University came back from falling 1-0 in a no-hitter to beat homestanding Biola 6-2 to split a PacWest Conference doubleheader on Monday at Freedom Field.
 
The Sharks (13-12, 7-5) used a six-run sixth inning to down the Eagles (12-11, 7-7) after being no-hit in the first game of the twinbill.
 
The Sharks got a tough loss in the opener despite the stellar pitching of freshman Taylor Thompson of Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle (8-6). She hurled a two-hitter, allowing the one run, but allowed four walks and a strikeout. Unfortunately for Thompson, both hits came in the fifth inning and accounted for the only run of the game.
 
Biola's Paige Austin hurled a gem that was nearly perfection. The only batter she allowed to reach base came in the HPU fifth, when she hit freshman Jewel Larson of Waipahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City with a 0-2 pitch. Austin struck out seven Sharks in the contest, with two coming in the top of the seventh.
 
In the second game, senior Malia Torres of Danville, Calif./Monte Vista (5-6) got her 11th complete game, allowing two runs on seven hits with a walk.
 
The Sharks got 2-for-4 performances from junior Noel "Tita" Saunders of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City and sophomore Poliahu Aina of Kailua, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama, both with a double each and an RBI.
 
The Eagles got on the board in the fourth inning on a pair of singles, the latter racking up an RBI for a 1-0 lead.
 
Then the Sharks loaded the bases to start the fifth with a hit batter, an error on a sacrifice and a single. Junior Savanna Salyer-Kovacs of Camarillo, Calif./Camarillo came home on a passed ball to tie the game, before Saunders plated another with an RBI single through the right side to make it 2-1. After the Sharks had a runner gunned down at the plate the next at-bat, another Eagle error allowed HPU to reload the bases for Aina who ripped an RBI single to right. Sophomore Hoku Ching of Honolulu/Roosevelt laced a two RBI single to make it 5-1, and junior Leipua Kaui of Kapa'a, Hawai 'i/Kapa'a smacked a pinch hit RBI single to right giving the Sharks a 6-1 advantage.
 
The Eagles added a single run in the sixth on an RBI triple, but Torres worked out of the jam allowing just the one run.
 
BU Raylene Roybal (4-5) took the loss, allowing six runs, one earned, on seven hits with three strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Jennifer Morinishi allowed one hit in the following 2.1 innings.
 
The Sharks and Eagles play a second doubleheader on Tuesday to wrap up the series. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. HST (2 p.m. PDT) at BU's Freedom Field.