HILO-Hawai`i—The University of Hawai`i Hilo used the arm of Danielle Wilson to win the first game 1-0, but Concordia brought out the big bats to claim the nightcap, 8-1, in a softball doubleheader on Saturday at the UH Hilo Softball complex.

It was the Pacific West Conference opener for the Vulcans (1-1) who are now 7-5 overall. Concordia moves to 11-8-2 overall and to 1-3 in league action.

The two games were very much in stark contrast to each other. Concordia lashed out 11 hits including a pair of home runs in the second game, while the opener was a pitcher's duel.

In game one, Wilson was outstanding. She really only had to work out of trouble twice. The senior gave up a lead-off single in the fourth inning, and after an error had Eagle runners sitting on first and second with no one out. A sacrifice bunt then moved those runners to second and third, but Wilson fanned the next two batters to get out of the inning.

She also worked out of trouble in the seventh after giving up a one-out single and a walk. The SoCal native then induced a pop out and catcher Danielle Pulido followed by picking the runner off first base to end the inning.

The right-hander finished with a two-hit shutout, walking just one batter and fanning five. She improved to 4-0 on the season.

Her teammates on the offensive side struggled early against Eagle ace Grayson Harvey. The Vulcans didn't get their first hit until the bottom of the fourth when Pulido led off with a double. She advanced to third on a wild pitch, but Harvey hunkered down and put the next three UHH hitters in the books to get out of the inning.

The Vulcans threatened again big time in the sixth. Mari Kawano led off with a double and one batter later was racing home with what would have been the go-ahead run on Bailey Gaspar's line shot to center, but Eagle centerfielder Ryann Ferguson gunned down Kawano at the plate to essentially kill the rally.

In the bottom of the seventh, Cristina Menjivar looped a single into right centerfielder to jump start the inning. Pinch runner Samantha Lauro moved to second base on Pulido's sacrifice bunt. After a ground out put two outs on the scoreboard, pinch-hitter Amanda Lauro stepped to the plate and hit a sharp comebacker to Harvey, who threw the ball inside the first base bag, tipping off the first baseman's glove and skidded to the fence, allowing Lauro to scamper home with the winning run.

Harvey was the hardluck loser, despite not allowing an earned run. She gave up four hits, walked two and struck out seven.

In the second game, Eagle pitcher Bethann McCann got plenty of offensive support during the 8-1 Concordia win.

Amy Eilefson got things started in the top of the first inning with a two-run home run to dead centerfield to put the Eagles up 2-0. That score held through four innings, with McCann scattering three hits and allowing no runs, while Vulcan starter Billi Derleth allowed two hits after the Eilefson homer.

But things came unraveled for UHH in the top of the fifth as Concordia bashed five hits and scored five times. Eilefson drove in another run with a single, while Kailey Palazzolo laced a two-run double and Nicole Chavez added a single that brought home two RBI.  In the top of the sixth, Ferguson would another run with homer to right.

The Vulcans broke the shutout in the fifth inning when Danielle Antolin walked, moved to third on Kristin Ishii's double, and then scored on Brinell Kaleikini's sacrifice fly.

Ishii finished with two hits in the game for UHH, who had five total hits against McCann and reliever Jordan Quinn. Ferguson was 3-for-4 for the Eagles, while Eilefson had two hits and drove in three runs.

The two teams will return to the field on Sunday for games three and four of the series. Start time is noon.