Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of Hawaii Pacific University
LA MIRADA, Calif. – The Hawai’i Pacific University 2022 baseball season ended in a heartbreak, as Biola swept HPU 3-1 and 3-2 in a PacWest Conference doubleheader on Thursday afternoon at Eagles Diamond.
The Sharks (17-27, 11-21) led the nightcap of twinbill into the bottom of the seventh of the seven inning contest, when the Eagles (20-25, 16-12) got a two-out, three-run home run off the bat of Wyatt Duncan to end the game.
The bash ruined what had been appearing to be a nice way to close out the year on an up note.
HPU had claimed a 2-0 lead in the second inning of the final contest when freshman Mackenzee Higuchi of Aiea, Hawai’i/Mid-Pacific Institute smashed a two-run homer to left field.
The Sharks pitching and defense kept them in the contest. Junior starter Cole Mayeshiro of Mililani, Hawai’i/Mililani went two innings and pitched into the third when he gave up his third hit to go with a walk and a strikeout. Sophomore Makana Quia of Waipahu, Hawai’i/Waipahu followed by hurling three complete shutout innings on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Sophomore Eddie Lee of Honolulu/Kalani came in to start the sixth. He did not allow a hit in the frame, but had an error behind him and hit a batter before retiring the side. After a flyout to start the seventh, he allowed a single and walked an Eagle. Senior D.J. Stephens of Nanakuli, Hawai’i/Saint Louis came in from centerfield to pitch and retired the first batter he faced for the second out. But on his third pitch, Duncan clobbered the ball on the fence in right center. Lee went 1.1 innings allowing two runs on the hit and the walk. Stephens (0-2) took the loss allowing the one run on the one hit.
Biola pitcher Brayedn Englert went the distance, allowing the two runs on eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
In the first game, HPU was limited to just four hits in the nine inning affair.
After Biola got a three-run inning in the bottom of the fourth thanks in part to an error and a wild pitch, the Sharks came back in the fifth with a run on an RBI double from sophomore Cole Kashimoto of Kaneohe, Hawai’i/Saint Louis to make it 3-1. But that would be the scoring for both sides.
Sophomore Jack O’Brien of San Diego, Calif./Westview (3-3) suffered the loss allowing the three runs, one earned, on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Junior Markus Ramos of Ewa Beach, Hawai’i/Campbell, threw two shutout innings allowing one hit with a strikeout.
BU’s Andrew Beauvais (3-4) picked up the win going eight innings allowing a run on four hits with two walks and nine Shark strikeouts. Tyler Mead got his third save with a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts.
