Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 HILO, Hawai`i.—Hawai`i Hilo scored in every inning in the first contest to roll to an 8-0 mercy rule win, and then rallied against Hawai`i Pacific ace Jordan Curry to take the nightcap 5-2 for the softball doubleheader sweep on Saturday at the UH Hilo Softball Complex.

With the twin wins, the Vulcans moved past the Sharks into second place in the Pacific West Conference with a 19-8 record in league play (they are 25-14 overall). Hawai`i Pacific is now 27-20 on the year and 18-10 in the PacWest.

Isabelle Mejia threw a five-hit, five-inning shutout in the opener and also doubled home a run at the plate during the 8-0 victory. Seven different players in the Vulcan line-up had hits in the mercy rule verdict, including Vevesi Liilii and Rayla Jacobs-Kea, who had two each. Jacobs-Kea, Brinell Kaleikini and Chloe Domingo each drove in a pair of runs in the easy victory.

Mejia and Kaleikini both had doubles that hit the top of the fence. Kalelikini raked hers in the first inning to drive in two, Mejia's was part of a three-run fourth that chased Shark starting pitcher Emilee Leonard. UH Hilo scored two runs in the first, one each in the second, third and fifth, and the three in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Mejia improved to 9-2 in the pitching circle, giving up five hits in five innings, walking one and striking out one. The Sharks had runners on first and third in the second inning and had HPU batters on first and second in the third, but couldn't move them along.

As much as the Vulcans hit in the first game, they couldn't put the bat on the ball in the second game early against Curry—who came into the contest with a 17-6 record and 2.00 ERA. Curry put the Vulcans down in order in the first three innings, retiring the first nine batters she faced.

On offense, the Sharks took the lead in the third when Brandi Leong singled against UHH's Valerie Alvarado, and Leipua Kaui followed with a two-run shot over the fence in dead center field. With a 2-0 edge and Curry throwing blanks, things were looking good for the visitors.

Kiarra Lincoln got UH Hilo's first hit in the fourth, a double to left field. But Curry would get the next three batters to keep a two-digit lead heading into the fifth inning.

Things changed in the bottom of the fifth. Kaleikini led off with a single, just the second hit off of Curry. Markie Okamoto followed with another base hit, and Jacobs-Kea moved them up a base with a sacrifice bunt. UHH then scored a run on a catcher's throwing error, and Skylar Thomas followed by lacing a sharp single to right field to score two runs to put the Vulcans up 4-2.

They would add one more run in the sixth when Kaleikini drove home pinch runner Danielle Antolin, who replaced Mejia who had singled. It was 5-2 when Alvarado put the Sharks down in order in the seventh.

Alvarado moved to 7-5 on the year, allowing only four hits in seven innings. She gave up two runs, walked two and struck out two. Kaleikini, Okamoto and Jacobs-Kea each had a pair of hits against Curry, and Thomas had the two key RBI.

UH Hilo will now play a four-game series next weekend at home, hosting Academy of Art on Friday and Saturday. Start time for both doubleheaders will be noon.