AZUSA, Calif.--Isabelle Mejia hit a grand slam and drove in six runs in a 14-7 first game win, Skylar Thomas added a grand slam in the second contest, and Billi Derleth pitched a complete game during a 11-2 nightcap victory as the Vulcans swept Azusa Pacific on Saturday at the Cougar Softball Complex.

The Vulcans took three of four games from the Cougars to improve to 20-8 on the season and to 15-5 in the Pacific West Conference. The Cougars are now 12-12 overall and 9-7 in conference action.

UH Hilo now travels to Irvine to take on first-place Concordia in a four game slate that starts on Monday. Doubleheaders on Monday and Tuesday will start at 2 pm.

The Hawai`i Hilo women's softball team suffered one of their most disappointing defeats of the season in the first game of this four-game series at Azusa Pacific on Friday. Leading 4-0 in the seventh inning, they eventually fell 5-4 in eight innings. 

But if character could be a hallmark of this team, it showed in the next three games. The Vulcans bounced back for wins in the second game (8-7 in 9 inn.) and 14-7 in the first game today. Even in that contest, they spotted the Cougars a 4-0 lead before roaring back. 

APU roughed up Vulcan starter Mejia in the first inning, with most of the damage was done on a three-run homer by Amanda Woods. UH would rally back in the third with five runs, which included Mejia's grand slam homer. The Cougars got the lead back in their half of the inning (6-5), but the Vulcans would tie the game in the top of the fourth on Brinell Kaleikini's double and eventual plate crossing. 

With Mejia now out of the pitching circle and Leah Gonzales in, the Cougar bats cooled. And the UHH bats got hotter. In the sixth, Kaleikini doubled again and Kiarra Lincoln followed with a home run to give the Vulcans a 8-7 lead. Mejia may have struggled on the mound, but she more than made up for it in the field, doubling home another run. She would drive in yet another run in the seventh as the Vulcans scored four runs in each of the final two innings to build a 14-7 lead.

Gonzales was brilliant out of the pen and got the win to improve to 6-3. She pitched three innings, allowed three hits, no runs, no walks and fanned three. Mejia's final numbers read 4-for-5, 6 RBI a double and a home run. That overshadowed a great offensive game from Kaleikini, who was 3-for-4 with four runs scored and a double. 

In the second game, Derleth stepped up big for the second time in the series. She went the distance, allowing just two runs, five hits and she did not walk a batter to improve to 2-1.

The Vulcans had plenty of offense as well.  They scored six runs in the first inning and five in the seventh and let Derleth do the work in between. 

Thomas bashed her four-run, four-bagger in the first inning to set the tone. Lincoln would put the finishing touches on in the seventh inning with a three-run triple. Mejia would drive in her seventh run of the day in the final inning as well as UHH ripped 12 hits in the game. 

Five players had two hits in the second game--Thomas, Markie Okamoto, Rayla Jacobs-Kea, Maria Steadmon and Lincoln. Lincoln finished with five RBI on the day.

The top two teams in the PacWest will square off on Monday and Tuesday. The Vulcans are now 15-5 in conference play and Concordia is 11-2