WAIPAHU, Hawai'i– The UH Hilo baseball team put up a fight against Hawai'i Pacific, but the host managed to come up on top 11-6 over the Vulcans at Hans L'Orange Park. 

The Sharks snagged the first game of the five-game series and their first conference matchup of the 2022 season, making the Sharks 7-0 overall and 1-0 in the PacWest Conference while the Vulcans fell 9-3 and 0-1 in the PacWest.

The first two games of the series are conference games, while the remaining three are nonconference. The other two conference games will be played in Hilo in April, CLICK HERE to view the baseball schedule. 

UHH started strong with a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but HPU was able to break through in the third successfully stringing together four runs.

The Vulcans, chasing 4-1, answered back the next inning when Bradyn Yoshida singled up the middle. Yoshida's base knock cashed in on two runs (4-3). 

The one-run difference was short lasting as the Sharks put up two of their own in the bottom of the fourth (6-3).

UH Hilo ran into some good fortune in the fifth, scoring another run (6-4). Casey Yamauchi led off with a double and advanced to third on a base hit by Eric Peterson. Yamauchi scored off the Sharks' balk and the Vulcans were within a two-run reach. 

The Sharks once again answered to the Vulcans, this time tacking on three runs (9-4). 

Both teams would score two more runs before the game concluded resulting in the final score: 11-6.

Five Vulcans saw time on the hill including: James Yamasaki, Aaron Davies, Takashi Umino, Ty Honda, and Jamieson Hirayama. Honda threw three innings in relief and struck out five batters. Hiryama closed the game and limited eighth inning damage, getting the final two outs of the inning to send his team back on offense.