AZUSA, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University dropped two close games on Saturday as Azusa Pacific swept the PacWest Conference doubleheader 4-3 and 3-1 at Cougar Softball Complex.
 
The Sharks (14-17, 8-10) suffered back-to-back sweeps for the first time this season as the Cougars (20-13, 14-6) claimed their eighth win in the last nine games.
 
HPU was led offensively on the day by freshman Tiari Hernandez of Waipahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City who went 2-for-5 on the day with two RBI. She was the only Shark with more than on hit on the afternoon, and no HPU player got more than a single.
 
Freshman Taylor Thompson of Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle (8-9) picked up the game one loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in her 15th complete game of the season. Senior Malia Torres of Danville, Calif./Monte Vista (6-8) took the loss in the second game with her 14th complete game of the year, allowing three runs on three hits with three walks and a strikeout.
 
HPU had the lead in both contests, only to have the home-standing Cougars comeback for the wins.
 
In the first game, HPU broke open for all three runs in the top of the third inning. Junior Savanna Salyer-Kovacs of Camarillo, Calif./Camarillo, opened the inning with a single, advanced on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on Hernandez' RBI grounder. Hernandez reached on an error and got to second on a throw home. She moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice squeeze bunt from junior Brandi Leong of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua to go up 2-0. Junior Noel "Tita" Saunders of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City then singled, stole second and scored on an error of a ball hit by sophomore Poliahu Aina of Kailua, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama for a 3-0 lead.
 
The Cougars took advantage of an error to set up an RBI single and a steal of home to pull within a run at 3-2 in the third. APU then grabbed the lead in the fourth with a two RBI single to take the 4-3 lead.
 
HPU got runners on in the fifth and seventh, but were shut down by the Cougars. Aly Montesino (3-0) picked up the win for APU, going 4.1 innings allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits with two walks. Katie Korstrom collected her first save by hurling 2.2 innings of shutout ball, with a walk and a strikeout.
 
In the second game, HPU opened the scoring in the second with Hernandez' RBI single that scored freshman Neva Poulin of Corona, Calif./Norco for a 1-0 lead. It didn't last long as APU answered with a leadoff walk, an RBI double and an RBI single for the 2-1 advantage after two.
 
The Cougars added an insurance run in the fourth after a double and an error.
 
That's all the Cougars needed as Sydnie Sahhar (6-5) held HPU to one run on six hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 6.1 innings. Liz Phillips came in to get a strikeout and a pop-up to retire the final two batters for her second save.
 
The Sharks don't have much rest time, as they face No. 2 Concordia Irvine in doubleheaders on Monday and Tuesday. Both twinbills start at 11 a.m. HST (2 p.m. PDT) at Eagles Field.