HILO — The UH-Hilo softball team concluded its regular season with home games last weekend, while its baseball team played its final home games ahead of its final regular season outings — which will take place this weekend.
SOFTBALL
The Vulcans swept the HPU Sharks Sunday afternoon in Pacific West Conference action at the Vulcan Softball Field. UH-Hilo topped the Sharks 3-1, before senior Lauren Avalos threw a shut-out no hitter in an 8-0 five-inning mercy-rule victory to cap the season.
It was the final game of the season as the Vulcans fell just outside the four-team qualifying bubble for next month’s PacWest Championships postseason double-elimination tournament in Fresno, California.
Following Sunday’s doubleheader, UH-Hilo celebrated its departing seniors: Lauren Avalos, Trinity Favela, Kuulei Ili, Maya Lee Saneishi, Malia Risdall, Chloe Domingo and Brandee Chinen.
“It’s just been a pleasure to see all of them grow as individuals and as players, especially Chloe and Brandee who have been here for five years,” Vulcans second-year head coach Aisha Sueda said. “They’ve all ranged from one year to two years to four years to five years. Just to see them bloom has been great to witness and a pleasure to coach these seniors.”
After leaving three total runners stranded through the first and second innings of Game One, the Vulcans brought in their first run in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly by Dyoni Garcia to score Jayda Favela for a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Jayda Favela added another run on an RBI single through the right side.
In the fifth inning, senior Kuulei Ili pinch hit with two outs and runners on second and third to drive in the Vulcans’ final run with a single to left field.
Both teams each left 11 runners stranded with 10 of HPU’s coming through the last four innings. The Sharks scored their lone run on a bases-loaded wild pitch.
Malia Risdall got the complete-game win for her sixth of the season in the pitching circle.
In Game Two — Lauren Avalos came one surrendered-walk away from completing a perfect game in the truncated contest but still was flawless in 5.0 innings of work with no hits, no runs and one strikeout. Avalos reached three balls in the count only one other at-bat, which resulted in a ground out to end the top of the second.
The Vulcans got started early by capitalizing on a handful of HPU defensive miscues to plate three first-inning runs.
UH-Hilo added on in the third inning with RBI hits from Trinity Favela, Chinen, Jayda Favela, Saneishi and Avalos herself to cap the scoring for an 8-0 lead.
Before the final out in the bottom of the fifth, seniors Domingo, Trinity Favela, Chinen and Saneishi were subbed out of the game to receive one final ovation from fans and teammates.
UH-Hilo finishes at 11-16 in the PacWest (16-25 overall) while HPU moved to a 15-15 record (20-30 overall).
The four-team PacWest Championships is set for May 3–5 in La Mirada, California at Biola University with Hawai’i just outside the bubble of qualifying.
BASEBALL
The UH-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, UH-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. 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.
