HILO, Hawai'i – The Hawai'i Hilo baseball team honored its nine seniors with a four-game sweep of the visiting HPU Sharks this weekend at Francis Wong Stadium.
Only two of the victories counted as Pacific West Conference contests as the race for the fourth and final spot in next month's four-team PacWest Championships postseason tournament heats up for a down-to-the-wire finish.
Following Sunday's game, Hawai'i Hilo celebrated its nine seniors: Haruto Nakano, Kekahi Haina, Eric Peterson, Jarod Kaneshiro, Alex Hobgood, Ryan Cho, Christian DeJesus, Kobie Russell and Casey Yamauchi along with student assistant Mathis Yamamoto.
The Vulcans, who currently sit at No. 4 with a 13-14 record (.481) will finish their conference schedule next weekend with two games as part of a four-game regular-season-ending slate on O'ahu against the Sharks.
GAME 1: HPU 5, HAWAI'I HILO 7
- Fifth-year senior shortstop Casey Yamauchi led off the bottom of the first inning with a de facto inside-the-park home run with a triple to right field before advancing to score on a wild relay throw to the infield. For the Hilo-native, it was hit No. 227 to move him up into the lone spot atop the program's all-time career hits list, passing Keoni Manago (08-11).
- HPU plated five runs in the sixth inning with the help of three Vulcan defensive errors to give the Sharks a 5-3 lead.
- Hawai'i Hilo got one run back in the seventh before adding three more runs in the bottom of the eighth aided by four free bases given to batters.
- Jake Liberta got his first win of the season in 2.0 innings of scoreless relief work. Christian Wood notched his third save of the season.
- Ryan Cho batted 2 for 4 with a double and three RBI.
GAME 2: HPU 5, HAWAI'I HILO 8 (7 INNINGS)
- The Vulcans had nine hits to jump out to a 7-0 lead at the end of three innings, highlighted by a solo homer from Blake Tweedt and RBI doubles by Kein Iwata and Bryce Tweedt.
- HPU threatened late after managing to bunch together six hits for five runs in the sixth inning, but Vulcans senior Christian DeJesus entered onto the mound and later closed out the game with a strikeout for his first save of the season.
- Matthew O'Brien got his first win after going 5.0 innings with just two earned runs allowed.
GAME 3: HPU 2, HAWAI'I HILO 10
- Hawai'i Hilo doubled up on HPU in hits, 14-7, as the Vulcans knocked in runs on five RBI extra-base hits.
- Kein Iwata got things going with a two-RBI triple to left-center field in the bottom of the second inning, followed by a two-RBI double by Casey Yamauchi to make it an early 4-0 lead.
- The Vulcans used six total pitchers to hold the Sharks to just two runs scored. James Yamasaki made his second start of the season and went 3.1 innings with four strikeouts and just one run allowed. Kekahi Haina was tabbed with his first win.
GAME 4: HPU 4, HAWAI'I HILO 8
- The Sharks struck first with two early runs, but the Vulcans responded in the bottom of the third with three runs to take the lead.
- Both teams were knotted up at 4-4 after five complete innings and the score remained until the bottom of the eighth when the Vulcans executed on "small ball" with successful back-to-back bunts by Mason Cook and Kobie Russell to score Blake Tweedt for the go-ahead run. Bryce Tweedt then cleared the bases with a two-RBI triple down the right-field line.
- Jake Liberta earned his second win of the season as Christian DeJesus came in to close out the game for his second save.
- Freshman Quinn Stewart got his first career start, going 3.0 innings with three strikeouts and two runs allowed.
WHAT'S NEXT
Hawai'i Hilo moved to 13-14 in the PacWest (24-16 overall) as HPU moved to a 12-17 record (17-26 overall).
The Vulcans will conclude the regular season next weekend on O'ahu against HPU at the Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park. The format will be similar to this past weekend with a single game Friday, April 28, a doubleheader Saturday and then a single game on Sunday. Only two of the contests will count for the PacWest Conference season.
The four-team PacWest Championships postseason tournament will be held May 10–12 in Fresno, California at FPU.
AMONG THE BEST IN THE WEST
Hawai'i Hilo came in at No. 10 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division II West Regional rankings released on April 17.
The Vulcans dropped three spots from their previous ranking at No. 7.
Fellow PacWest Conference schools Point Loma Nazarene and Azusa Pacific sit above at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, with Fresno Pacific at No. 8.
Cal State San Bernardino remained at the top with Cal State Monterey Bay one point behind at No. 2.
The first official NCAA Regional Rankings will be released Wednesday, April 26.
