HONOLULU, Oahu--UH Hilo rallied back from a 3-0 deficit in the first game for a 6-4 win and bashed their way to a 11-8 short (4 inning) game victory in the second.
The Vulcans will now return home to play the Sharks next weekend in Hilo, April 17-18. UHH is 9-5 on the year and now 9-2 in the Pacific West Conference.
UH Hilo rallied for the win in the first game and then won a shortened second game that had a time limit due to flight plans.
In the opener, the VulcansĀ couldn't solve HPU starter Maxime Beaulieu, who was making his first start on the mound and just his second appearance of the year. The 6-foot-5 freshman stymied the visitors through the first six innings, now allowing a run while giving up only three hits. His team got him three runs against a committee of UHH pitchers, taking a 3-0 lead into the seventh.
Beaulieu finally tired, walking the first two batters of the inning. He left the game with two runners on, and UHH pinch hitter
Rustin Ho greeted the next reliever with an RBI-single. Trey Yukomoto bunted home a run, and now the Vulcans were back into it trailing only 3-2. The Sharks would add another run in the bottom of the seventh (4-2).Ā
An error opened the door for a UHH rally in the eighth and
Kobie Russell made the Sharks pay with an RBI-double. With the bases loaded,
Gaven Palagonia walked home a run and Ho hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-4 UH HIlo. The Vulcans added insurance in the ninth when
Chris AubortĀ singled, stole second and third and then was brought home by
Teppei Fukuda.
Brandyn Lee-Lehano pitched a scoreless and hitless inning in the seventh and
John Kea did the same for the final two innings to preserve the win. UHH had nine hits in the game, six of them after Beaulieu left.
Jaryn Kanbara and Aubort had two each.Ā
The second game didn't have a pitching hero. In just four innings, the two teams combined for 25 hits in what was the sixth game in three days for both. UH Hilo had 13 hits in 22 at-bats and five stolen bases. Eight of the nine Vulcan starters had hits, with five players sporting multiple base knocks.
The Vulcans never trailed in the game, scoring five runs in the top of the first. They led 11-5 before the Sharks rallied for the 11-8 final count.
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