HILO, Hawai`i--Five different UH Hilo pitchers combined to hold Chuo University to just one run, while the Vulcan offense scratched out runs in the fourth and eighth to edge their visitors from Japan, 2-1, in front of 975 fans at Wong Stadium.

With the win, the Vulcans wrapped up their two-game exhibition series with the Japan school. Chuo won Tuesday nights game, 7-3. Chuo won the Japan equilivent of the college world series in 2016.

The game was a scoreless pitcher's dual through the first three innings. Freshman Brandyn Lee-Lahano, a Kamehameha grad, tossed the first three frames, allowing just two hits and striking out four. On the other side of the scorecard, Chuo's Itoshi Kinoshita allowed just one hit through the first three innings. 

Chuo would scratch across a run in the fourth. Tatsuya Ganryu led off the stanza with a double. A few batters later, Takumi Tomiyama brought home Kengo Mamiya (fielder's choice) with a single to make it 1-0. 

But the Vulcans would answer in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Philip Steering singled and Jaron Manago was hit by a pitch. One batter later, after Steering was forced out at third, Cole Nagamine singled to bring home Manago with the tying run.

Kinoshita would pitch through six innings, allowing just the one run. For the Vulcans, Alec Telles entered in the fourth and gave up just the one run through the sixth inning. 

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out, Luke Van Artsen tripled down the left field line off of new pitcher Kohei Ozawa. Edwin Stanberry then lifted a fly to left and Van Artsen slid in home safely just ahead of the throw to give the Vulcans what would end up being the winning run. 

Deric Valoroso, Jr. kept Chuo scoreless in the eighth, setting up Kamalu Kamoku to close out an interesting ninth inning. A walk, a sacrifice bunt and an error put runners at first and third with one out. But Kamoku induced a pop out and fanned the final Chuo batter of the game to get the save.

Steering had three hits in four trips to the plate, while Nagamine went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Ganryu and Tomiyama had two hits apiece for Chuo.

UH Hilo will open Pacific West Conference play on Saturday with a doubleheader against Hawaii Pacific. Start time of the first game is 4 p.m. The Sharks and Vulcans will also play a twinbill on Sunday, start time is noon.

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