COSTA MESA, Calif. — Hawai'i Pacific battled back with a five-run third inning but ultimately fell 13-8 to Westmont in the series opener on Tuesday morning at Dean Harvey Field.
Westmont jumped out early, using multiple home runs to build a 6-0 lead through three innings. The Warriors extended that advantage to 9-5 after a big fourth inning, putting the Sharks in an early hole.
HPU responded in the third with one of its strongest offensive frames of the game. Ethan Murakoshi got things started with an RBI double before Kan Taguchi drove in a run with a single. The Sharks continued to apply pressure, capitalizing on a Westmont error and adding RBIs from Blake Helsper and Andrew Nykoluk to cut the deficit to 6-5.
Taguchi led the offense with three hits and three RBIs, while Murakoshi added a pair of runs and an RBI. Tyler Arnold and Ziah Chang each contributed multi-hit performances as HPU totaled 11 hits on the day.
The Sharks continued to chip away, adding a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to pull within three at 11-8. However, Westmont answered with runs in the later innings to maintain control and secure the 13-8 win.
Hawai'i Pacific moves to 20-17 overall and 18-13 in PacWest play following the loss, while Westmont improves to 22-13 overall.