KANEOHE, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University closed its home season in style with a doubleheader sweep against Academy of Art 3-0 and 10-2 in five innings on Saturday at Howard Okita Field.
 
The Shark's (20-26, 13-15) senior pitcher Malia Torres of Danville, Calif./Monte Vista threw her third consecutive shutout in game one against the Urban Knights (7-36, 4-16). Game two was a back and forth game with HPU taking an early lead then falling behind only to bounce back for a crushing run rule victory.
 
HPU got things started in the bottom of the fourth of the first game with three consecutive singles from Poliahu Aina of Kailua, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama, Neva Poulin of Corona, Calif./Norco, and Tiari Hernandez of Waipahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City to load the bases. Savannah Salyer-Kovacks of Camarillo, Calif./Camarillo brought home two with another single to center field making it 2-0 Sharks.
 
In the fifth, Hoku Ching of Honolulu, Hawai'i/Roosevelt reached on a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and got to third on another ball in the dirt passed the catcher. She was scored by a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 3-0 and the final.
 
Torres threw her 22nd complete game allowing six hits with a strikeout and 23 straight scoreless innings pitched. She moves to 11-12 on the year.
 
ART U's Haley Arnold-Jolley went 4.0 innings allowing two earned runs on five hits with two walks in taking the loss moving to 1-13 on the year. Jolene Rhoades came in for the final two innings giving up one earned run on a hit and a walk.
 
HPU got things going in the first inning of game two taking advantage of some wild pitchers eventually scoring on an overthrow by Art U's catcher giving an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Urban Knights retaliated with their own two runs in the top of the third on two doubles and a single bunt.
 
The Sharks bounced back into the lead in the bottom of the third with a huge triple by Brandi Leong of Wahiawa, Hawai'i/Leilehua and four other hits making it 4-2 after three.
 
The fire was lit in the bottom of the fourth for the Sharks completing the mercy rule by scoring six runs on five hits and an ART U error.
 
It was a bittersweet moment having Torres come back in for the final inning of her career and ended it was a swinging strikeout to finalize the game at 10-2 after five innings.
 
HPU's freshman Taylor Thompson of Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle threw four innings allowing two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts. She takes the win in game two moving to 11-14 on the season. Torres came in to finish the game with one strikeout in the inning.
 
AAU's Arnold-Jolley threw three innings allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with two walks in taking the loss. Rhoades came in for the final inning allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks.
 
The Sharks will stay in the islands playing against Chaminade University next Sunday, April 24 at the Sand Island Field. First pitch is set for Noon.