HILO, Hawai'i – The Hawai'i Hilo Softball team continued its charge toward the postseason by claiming a series sweep of Academy of Art after taking the twinbill victory, 7-1 and 4-1, Saturday afternoon at the Vulcan Softball Field.

The Vulcans now sit at No. 4 in the Pacific West Conference standings with a .545 winning percentage (12-10 record). It's going to be a tight battle in the final leg of the season with Dominican just ahead at .556 (10-8) and Chaminade trailing at .538 (7-6).

Azusa Pacific is currently at No. 2 (.700) but still has 18 scheduled conference contests to be played. Concordia University Irvine is at the top at 17-1 (.944).

The top four teams will qualify for the postseason tournament at Dominican in early May.

GAME 3: ACADEMY OF ART 1 - HAWAI'I HILO 7

• Lexie Tilton batted three for three at the plate, cashing in big in the top of the third with a two-out bases-loaded two-RBI knock to the four-hole on the right side of the field for the Vulcans' first runs of the game. Tilton also capped a four-run bottom of the sixth by scoring the Vulcans' final run on a bases-loaded drawn walk by Maya Lee Saneishi.
• Tehani Seto made her 11th start of the season going 5.1 innings to improve to a 3-5 record. Seto overcame four walks and one run allowed by flashing the leather with five assists, two of which started double plays. After allowing two runners to get on in the top of the fourth, Seto ended the Urban Knights' two-out-rally attempt by inducing a smooth grounder back to herself.
• Megan Yorba entered the pitching circle in the top of the sixth with a 3-0 lead but two runners on base. ART U's Liberta Herrera slapped a single up the middle to plate a run as Saneishi prevented further damage by gunning out the trail runner at home from center field. Yorba was tagged with the save after ending the game on a whiff for the only strikeout of the entire contest.
• Rayne White, Kiani Nakamura and Kanoe Piltz each batted 2 for 3 with one walk drawn. The first of Nakamura's two runs scored was also the first for the Vulcans on Tilton's two-run single in the third inning. White scored twice as well, coming home both times on an RBI base hit by Piltz.
• Jayda Favela finished with two putouts and five assists, factoring into all three of Hawai'i Hilo's double plays.

GAME 4: ACADEMY OF ART 1 - HAWAI'I HILO 4

• There were a combined 21 total baserunners left stranded by both teams as the Vulcans left the bases loaded three times. Hawai'i Hilo drew eight walks and three hit-by-pitches with two of those coming with the bases juiced to bring across the last two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
• Makena Nera broke the scoreless game in the bottom of the fourth by dropping a RBI double to right-center field to score Tilton from first base (reached on a walk).
• ART U answered in the top of the fifth by executing on a squeeze bunt attempt but not without a tough effort by the Vulcans defense. Nera charged in to field the bunt from third base and flipped the ball to home plate, but Lida Wos evaded a short rundown to score safely.
• Linsea Strauch made her third start in the pitching circle, going 4.2 innings with just the lone run allowed. After ART U's squeeze bunt, Strauch allowed two walks to load the bases, but Chloe Sales entered the game and battled back from a 3-0 count to induce an inning-ending ground out to Nera.
• Hawai'i Hilo took the lead in the bottom of the sixth in another bases loaded situation. White hit a sharp grounder to the shortstop, but the throw home was just a tad offline, allowing Saneishi to score. Victoria Macias and Piltz further drew walks to bring two more runs across.

UP NEXT

Hawai'i Hilo moved to a 18-14 record (12-10 PacWest) while Academy of Art moved to 3-15 in conference (7-24 overall).

The Vulcans will have two weeks off before hopping to O'ahu for a four-game series with Chaminade, April 13-14. Next home games will be the final games of the regular season, hosting Chaminade (April 20) and HPU (April 21).

With the final month of competition coming up, Hawai'i Hilo will look to keep the wins coming in hopes of booking a return trip to the mainland for the four-team PacWest Conference Championship postseason tournament set for May 1-3 in San Rafael, California at Dominican.