HONOLULU, Oahu--The University of Hawaii Hilo softball team's lucky number heading into Sunday's doubleheader was one, needing just one win to clinch the Hawaii Pod.

As it turns out, Hawaii Pacific's number today was also one, as in two one-run wins over the Vulcans at Howard Okita Field, 4-3 and 2-1.

UH Hilo dropped to 13-8 with the losses, while the Sharks improved to 6-11. Second-place Chaminade is 10-10, just 2.5 games behind the Vulcans. UHH has three games remaining in the regular season, all with HPU on May 6-7 in Hilo. The Silverswords play four more times, all against the Sharks, April 30-May 1.

On Sunday, the Sharks scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh in the second game (2-1), and built an early lead and held on in the opener for a 4-3 win. 

HPU began the year 0-9 but have since won six of their last eight games (6-11).

In the first game, HPU jumped on Vulcan starter Nia Trinidad for three runs in the first inning, taking advantage of three walks, two hits, a wild pitch and a passed ball. UHH got a run back in the top of the second also taking advantage of miscues, using two Shark errors and a Angel Prewitt RBI-single to cut the margin to 3-1.

Trinidad kept the Sharks off the scoreboard for the next three innings, and UHH got another run closer in the top of the fifth. The Vulcans loaded the bases after Kiarra Lincoln and Markie Okamoto singled and Vevesi Liilii walked. Chloe Domingo singled home Lincoln, but the tying run was throw out at the plate, leaving the score at 3-2

HPU added a run in the bottom half of the inning, leaving the deficit at two runs in the top of the seventh for UHH. With two outs, an error kept the inning alive and Kamalei Labasan singled home a run to make it 4-3, but she was thrown out trying to advance to second to end the game.

Lincoln, Prewitt and Okamoto had two hits each for UHH, who had nine in the game. Trinidad shouldered her first collegiate loss (0-1), and Malia Torres won her fourth (4-5) for the Sharks.

In the second game, Torres went to the pitching circle again, this time facing Leah Gonzales as her counterpart. The Sharks got on the board first when Cieana Curran homered, and the game remained at 1-0 through five innings. 

With both Gonzales and Torres gone by the top of the sixth, UHH crossed the plate when Liilii doubled and Domingo singled to tie the contest at 1-1. UHH reliever Sara Bhatt put the Sharks down in order in the sixth.

In the seventh, Prewitt and Obara singled, but a doubleplay ended the threat. In the bottom of the seventh, a walk, an error, and a sacrifice bunt set the table for Cherise Horita's game winning single to send the Sharks into celebration.

Prewitt had two of UHH's seven hits in the game. Gonzales gave up one run in four innings on two hits, and Bhatt took the loss (4-2), allowing one run and two hits in two innings of work.