FRESNO, Calif. - The Hawaii Pacific University baseball team wrapped up their series with Fresno Pacific University Saturday afternoon at FPU Diamond. 
 
The Sharks (10-19, 6-13 PacWest) battled tightly in game two, but eventually fell victim to a sweep by the Sunbirds (15-15, 9-6 PacWest).
 
Game One 

Running was the name of the game for Hawaii Pacific in the top of the first. Tejean Smith got on base with a single before Cole Kashimoto drew a walk two outs later. A pickoff attempt to first base by the Sunbirds' defense went awry as the ball got away from the first baseman, allowing Smith to advance to third.

On the next pitch, Kashimoto made a dash to second base and FPU tried to gun him down. Smith used this as an opportunity to make a break for home and the throw was late, successfully completing the double steal. D.J. Stephens later singled in Kashimoto to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead. 
 
Fresno Pacific saw what Hawaii Pacific did and decided to copy it. With a runner on first and third, they too attempted a double steal. Just like HPU, FPU converted it to put them on the board. Two fly balls into the outfield brought the runner from second all the way to home to tie the game up. 
 
FPU's continuous hitting pressure broke down the HPU pitching staff. Seven runs over the third and fourth inning saw the Sunbirds take a 9-2 lead. 
 
In the top of the seventh, Noah Hata got on base via an error by the second baseman. Back-to-back singles by Smith and Nicholas Jio scored Hata, before a ball in play by Kota Suzuki was enough to bring in Smith. 

Unfortunately, as much as they chipped into the lead, the Sunbirds fired right back in the bottom half of the frame. A barrage of hits and a pair of walks plated another three runs for FPU. 

With neither team putting any more runs on the board in the final inning and a half, Fresno Pacific took the 12-4 victory over Hawaii Pacific in game one. 
 
Travis Johnson led the way with three hits, while Smith and Jio both had two. Jio and Stephens each plated a run. 
 
Markus Ramos and Eddie Lee were the bright spots in the bullpen, combining for 3.1 innings of shutout baseball. Together, they allowed a single hit and had four of the six strikeouts for the Sharks. 
 
Game Two 

With a limited number of pitchers left in the bullpen, Hawaii Pacific turned to outfielder D.J. Stephens to start on the mound. Stephens did well, keeping a shutout through the first three innings. 

However, Fresno Pacific finally broke through the seal, as Chris Clement smoked a triple into center field to bring in a run. With a man on third and no outs, the Sunbirds eventually scored Clement to make the lead 2-0. 
 
Offensively, the Sharks were getting runners on base, but a couple of double play balls shut the door on any run opportunities. But, in the top of the sixth, Daniel Johnson and Travis Johnson hit back-to-back singles. With pinch runner Adler Pierson coming in for the lead runner, HPU was able to complete a double steal. An error by the catcher during the double steal allowed Pierson to round third and score Hawaii Pacific's first run of the game. 
 
Looking to tie the game up in the seventh, Cole Kashimoto led off the inning with a single. Unfortunately, some aggressive base running with two outs did not work out, as Kashimoto was thrown out at third base to end the game. FPU completed the 4-game sweep with a 2-1 victory over HPU. 
 
Jio was great all day long offensively, collecting two hits in game two for a total of four on the day. Pierson's superb speed scored the lone run for the Sharks. 

After Stephens exited the mound, Ryan Inouye and Koa Dabuet pitched an almost perfect three innings. A lone walk and hit batter were the only mishaps for them. All in all, the three pitchers combined for four strikeouts in game two. 
 
Up Next 

The Sharks will have a quick pitstop in Chico, California. While they are there, they will play a single game against the Chico State Wildcats on Monday, April 3. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. PST at Nettleton Stadium.