HILO, Hawai`i—It was déjà vu all over again for the Hawai`i Hilo baseball team, Cole Nagamine and the Vulcan fans.

For the second time in just a little over a week, the Vulcans came from behind to win the opening game of a doubleheader, this time 9-8 against Fresno Pacific. And just like it was on March 30 against Holy Names, it was Nagamine's walk-off hit that sent home the winning run.

There were less heroics for the Vulcans in the second game. Fresno Pacific used a seven-run seventh inning to break up a 1-1 contest, and broke another tie with five runs in the ninth on their way to a 13-8 victory. The split gives UH Hilo a 6-16 overall record and a 6-14 mark in Pacific West Conference play. The Sunbirds are now 12-15 on the year and 9-9 in league action.

The first game almost got away from the Vulcans early. The first four Sunbird batters in the game got on base, via four different ways—a walk, double, hit batter and two-run single by Braden Frankfort. It was 3-0 after the inning, and then FPU chased starter Eric Vega before he could get an out in the second. 

The Sunbirds added three more hits and Vega walked a batter before reliever Cole Nakachi came in to put out the fire. By then, the score was already 6-0 after an inning and a half of play.

But the Vulcans climbed right back into the game in the third inning. A walk to Kyle Yamada, a base hit by Phillip Steering and an error jump started a rally that would see four UHH players cross home plate. Edwin Stanberry drove in a run with a single, as did Michael Suguro to make the score 6-4, Sunbirds.

Nakachi did credible work out of the bullpen on short notice, going a full five innings and allowing just one run, a homer by Eddie Sievers.  The Sunbirds added another run in the eighth on a pair of hits and a hit batter to make the count 8-4. The Vuls also got good relief work from Chance Colson and Deric Valoros. 

Colson pitched 1.3 scoreless frames, while Valaroso would pitch the final 2.2 innings without giving up a run or a hit. He would get the win.

Trailing early 6-0 and then 8-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth, the never-say-die Vulcans rallied back. They picked up a run in the eighth, taking advantage of a lead base hit by Austin Forney, two walks and a fielder's choice to make it 8-5. The Vuls added three more to tie the game in the ninth, on just two singles and a walk.

In the tenth, with two outs, Yamada singled to keep the home team alive. He moved to second on a wild pitch, which led to an interntional walk of Steering. Nagamine followed with the dramatic ending.

Eddie Sievers went 5-for-5 with two doubles and a home run to account for a huge chunk of the Fresno Pacific offense in the opener. He also had two RBI and scored twice. For the Vulcans, Steering got on base all six times. Steering, Nagamine, Forney and Edwin Stanberry each had two hits in the game, with Steering adding a three walks and a HBP.

The second game had pitcher's duel written all over it. UHH's Dylan Spain was very effective through six innings, same for FPU's Jonathan Molina. That duo was locked in a 1-1 game, with Spain having only given up four hits and Molina only five.

But things caved in for both in the seventh. Spain walked a batter and hit another one, and also gave up a pair of base hits. But it was his defense that failed him, as three errors helped lead to seven runs in the inning, on just three hits, giving the Sunbirds a 8-1 lead.

The Vulcans finally got to Molina in the seventh as well. Singles by Jonathan Segovia and Yamada, followed by a two-run double by Nagamine chased the FPU hurler. Before the inning was over, UHH chased four runs across the plate to make it 8-5.

Of course, as the night would go, the game was not over. UHH scored three times to tie it, using two walks, two hit batters and a two-run single by Sugimoto. Nagamine nearly provided the go-ahead hit again, singling to left but FPU leftfielder Michael Warkentin gunned down Sugimoto at the plate to keep the game tied.

The contest then came unraveled again in the ninth.  The Sunbirds bashed five hits, including doubles by Baron Bower and Hunter Villanueva  to plate five runs. This time, there would be no more Vulcan comebacks, as the Sunbirds held on for the 13-8 win.

Steering had three hits in the game for UHH. On the day, he made 11 trips to the plate and was on base 10 times. Forney, Nagamine, and Sugimoto had two hits each in the nightcap. Warkentin had three hits in game two for the Sunbirds.

The two clubs will take one day off and then resume the series with a doubleheader on Monday at Wong Stadium. Start time is 4 p.m.