IRVINE, Calif. - Head Coach Alex Takemura tallied his first collegiate win at the Concordia Kickoff Classic this morning, marking a bright start to a new era of Hawaiʻi Pacific softball.
 

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GAME 1

Hawai'i Pacific University rallied with a pair of big innings to secure a 5–3 victory over Colorado Christian on Friday morning at the Concordia Kickoff Classic, earning a strong all-around performance from the Sharks in a neutral-site contest.

After trailing 2–0 through four innings, HPU broke through in the fifth with a decisive three-run swing. Makayla Pagampao delivered the key blow, lacing a three-run double to right-center field that scored Taryn Hirano, Alexis Oshiro, and Danielle Cote, flipping the game in the Sharks' favor.

The Sharks added important insurance in the sixth. Hirano tripled and drove in Cote before Oshiro followed with an RBI single to center, pushing the lead to 5–3. Hirano finished the day reaching base three times, scoring twice, and driving in a run, while Oshiro went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Pagampao totaled three RBIs to pace the HPU offense, which collected eight hits and drew six walks.

In the circle, Lily Pardini went the distance for Hawai'i Pacific, scattering eight hits over seven innings to earn the win. She allowed three runs, two earned, while working out of multiple jams and inducing key outs late to close the door on the Cougars.

Colorado Christian tied the game briefly in the fifth, but the Sharks responded immediately and never relinquished the lead. HPU's defense settled in down the stretch, retiring the final seven batters to secure the victory.

The win improved Hawai'i Pacific to 1–2 on the season and showcased the Sharks' ability to generate timely offense and steady pitching in a complete team effort.
 

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GAME 2

Hawai'i Pacific showed resilience in the circle and continued to battle throughout, but No. 17 Cal State East Bay used timely hitting and clean defense to claim a 5–0 win in the Sharks 4th game at the Concordia Kickoff Classic
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The Sharks were limited to one hit, a first-inning single by Alexis Oshiro, which was highlighted further with a stolen base.

Naomi Cummings got the start for HPU and was solid through four innings, allowing four runs without surrendering an earned run as the defense worked through several tough plays. Grace Osborne and Angelica Oseguera combined to finish the game in relief, with Oseguera tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings to keep East Bay off the board late.

Defensively, the Sharks settled in after the early innings and turned several routine outs behind their pitchers, while limiting additional damage despite East Bay advancing runners into scoring position.

Hawai'i Pacific continued to compete through the final out, showing flashes of speed, pitching depth, and defensive grit against a strong Cal State East Bay squad. 
 

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The Sharks will look to build on those positives as they continue at the Concordia Kickoff Classic tomorrow against No. 3 Western Washington and Cal State San Bernardino. The Cal State San Bernardino game will be livestreamed on Team1Sports.com at 11:30 a.m. HST/ 1:30 p.m. PST.