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Hawaii Pacific University Athletics

Andrew Hauck
HSRN 95.1FM/760AM
6
Minnesota Crookston UMC 0-1
8
Winner Hawaii Pacific HPU 1-0
Minnesota Crookston UMC
0-1
6
Final
8
Hawaii Pacific HPU
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Minnesota Crookston UMC 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 6 12 2
Hawaii Pacific HPU 1 1 0 0 6 0 0 0 X 8 11 1

W: Hauck, Andrew (1-0) L: Jake Dykhoff (0-1) S: Cortez, Daniel (1)

8
Minnesota Crookston UMC 0-2
9
Winner Hawaii Pacific HPU 2-0
Minnesota Crookston UMC
0-2
8
Final
9
Hawaii Pacific HPU
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Minnesota Crookston UMC 0 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 8 12 0
Hawaii Pacific HPU 1 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 2 9 12 1

W: Stephens, D.J. (1-0) L: Gaudette, Derin (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Takes First Doubleheader in Walk-off Fashion over Golden Eagles

WAIPAHU – The Hawaii Pacific University baseball team opened up 2023 play by hosting Minnesota Crookston for a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Central Oahu Regional Park Field 4. 
 
The Sharks (2-0) won game one 8-6 and came back in game two to win 9-8 against the Golden Eagles (0-2). These two teams have another doubleheader scheduled for tomorrow, February 12. First pitch of game one is set for 2:00 p.m. HT at Central Oahu Regional Park Field 4
 
Game One
 
Crookston got on the board first with a long ball that went over center field in the top of the first. Hawaii Pacific responded in the bottom half of the frame, as senior Cole Kashimoto got hit by a pinch before stealing second. Junior Kota Suzuki then came up and singled in Kashimoto to tie the game. 
 
HPU then caught fire, scoring one run in the bottom of the second, and six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Junior Chase Taylor singled in graduate Richard Higa for the second run of the game. Then Taylor, freshman Noah Hata, sophomore Tejean Smith, and Suzuki all batted in runs in the sixth. Smith would top it all off by stealing home plate to put the Sharks up 8-1. 
 
However, the Golden Eagles did not go down quietly, scoring five runs in the final three innings to give Hawaii Pacific a scare. A final flyout with two runners on base would seal the deal, as HPU took game one 8-6. 

Nine Sharks recorded a hit, meanwhile, Smith and Taylor each had two hits. Taylor, Smith, and Suzuki all had two RBIs in the game. 
 
Senior Andrew Hauck had the start on the mound, going five innings and giving up one earned run, all while striking out six batters. Erik Peterson and sophomore Kainoa Holt then came in, before senior Daniel Cortez retired the final batter of the game. 
 
Game Two
 
This time around it was the Sharks who started the scoring. After senior Cole Kashimoto drew a walk, a Golden Eagle mishap allowed him to get all the way to third base. This setup sophomore Tejean Smith, who singled in Kashimoto for the first run of the game. 
 
The next four innings was all Crookston, as they went on to outscore Hawaii Pacific 7-1. The second run came off the bat of junior Daniel Johnson, who brought home Smith. 
 
Entering the bottom of the sixth, the Sharks found themselves trailing 7-2. With two outs and two runners on base, senior Nicolas Jio stepped into the box and lightly tapped an infield single to score senior D.J. Stephens. Kashimoto then singled to load the bases for Smith, who shot a double in the left-center gap to clear the bases. Not finished yet, junior Kota Suzuki cracked his own double down the left-field line to score Smith and tie the game up at 7-7. 

Since this was a seven-inning game, it would take extras to decide the winner. The Golden Eagles struck gold in the ninth, using two base hits to bring in a run. But it seemed mother nature wanted to play a role in the game, as the rain began to fall. 

With two outs, a walk, and a hit batter, led to a scoring chance for HPU. It may have been the rain, as two wild pitches later, that scoring chance was seen to fruition, as Hawaii Pacific once again tied the game. Freshman Noah Hata, who had previously entered the game as a pinch hitter, was now at the plate. A lofted ball just over the shortstop's head was all that he needed to score Stephens for the walk-off win. It took two separate comebacks, but the Sharks pulled off a game-two victory by a score of 9-8. 
 
Johnson, Stephens, and Smith combined for seven of HPU's 12 hits. Smith, the big hero to get them to extras, finished the game with four RBIs. 
 
After things started to get out of hand, Hawaii Pacific turned to freshman Shea Lake and sophomore Ryan Inouye to carry the mound, and they did exactly that, combining for four shutout innings to keep HPU in the game. 
 

#GoSharks
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