Gonzales, Gaspar fuel Vuls to winning streak
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
UH-Hilo coach Callen Perreira knows how to push the right buttons, and his managing was a key in a sweep of Notre Dame de Namur.
In Game 1 of a doubleheader at Belmont, Calif., on Sunday, the Vulcans defeated the Argonauts 6-4 in extra innings in a game that could have easily gone the other way.
Vuls ace Cyanne Fernandez, who had a 15-5 record and 2.60 ERA, was cruising through four innings but gave up three runs in the fifth.
She was pulled for Leah Gonzales, who entered with a 5-2 record and 3.61 ERA. But she fired a five-hitter in a 6-1 win on Saturday.
Gonzales allowed a run in the sixth, the Argos led 4-3, but she stayed in game and tossed three innings of one-run relief for the win.
In the eighth, UHH scored an unearned run, and Bailey Gaspar had an RBI double. Gaspar homered in the seventh, and Kiarra Lincoln homered in the third.
Gaspar batted 3 for 5 with two RBIs, Mari Kawano had three hits, Brinell Kaleikini and Markie Okamoto had two hits each.
In Game 2, Perreira stuck with the hot hand and was rewarded when Gonzales (6-2) fired a five-hitter in an 11-0 win.
Gaspar clubbed a two-run homer in a four-run first inning. She batted 1 for 3 with three RBIs, Lincoln had three hits, Kawano, and Okamoto had two hits each.
The Vuls (29-13, 17-7 PacWest) have won six straight while the Argonauts (11-40, 7-23) have lost 15 in a row.
On Saturday, Isabelle Mejia scattered 10 hits in a 9-4 victory, sparked by two-run homers from Gaspar and Kaleikini, who went 4 for 4.
Baseball
On Sunday, Academy of Art swept UHH 8-7 and 2-1, handing the Vuls their fourth straight loss.
The Vuls (14-23, 10-19) and Urban Knights (21-19, 16-15) conclude the four-game series on Monday.
UHH has 18 games left and would have to go 14-4 to break its 25-year losing streak, the longest in collegiate baseball, covering NCAA Division I and II and NAIA.
In Game 1, UHH starter Kyle Alcoran recorded only one out and got torched for seven runs in the 8-7 loss.
Cole Nakachi followed and pitched 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief.
Phillip Steering batted 4 for 4 with five RBIs, drilling a grand slam and solo homer.
In Game 2, UHH starter Travis Burleson fired six innings of two-run ball but one was unearned in a 2-1 loss.
In the first inning, Edison Sakata committed an error, and Jackson Murphy followed with an RBI single.
Elijah Smith hit an RBI triple in the fourth for a 2-0 lead.
In the seventh and last inning, Jonathan Segovia had an RBI single.
Steering and RJ Romo had two hits each.
Chris Petrosie scattered eight hits for the win.
On Saturday, UHH starter Dylan Spain surrendered three runs in five innings in a 6-3 loss.