Hawaii Pacific stuns Azusa Pacific with 7th-inning comeback

HONOLULU – Something about ladies and singing. 

The Hawaii Pacific University softball team stunned Azusa Pacific (10-9, 7-3 PacWest) on Tuesday, using three runs in the bottom of the 7th inning to come back and take the series rubber match over the Cougars, 4-3. First baseman Tiari Hernandez delivered the game-winning hit, smacking an RBI double to right field to score Alexis Oshiro from second base and cap off the 3-run frame for the Sharks.

It was the seventh time this season that HPU (10-14, 4-5 PacWest) erased a deficit to come back and win and the second straight day that the Sharks pulled out a win in a one-run game against the Cougars. The victory also matched HPU’s 2024 PacWest win total (4) while surpassing the total amount of wins from last season (9 in ‘24) through just 24 games. 

“[The team] understands the pressure is a little bit firmer when we drop the first [game of a series],” said HPU head coach Jarnett Lono after Tuesday’s win. “We’ve put ourselves in that situation in the first three series already, so hopefully they’ll turn through and think about capturing that first one.” 

The HPU softball team poses together after a 4-3 comeback win over Azusa Pacific. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

The Sharks had to show resilience for the second straight day after APU put up three runs in the 1st inning, tagging sophomore pitcher Layla Molina for four straight hits to begin the game. Once Molina got APU’s Bella Fraser to fly out on a sacrifice to left, the right-handed hurler settled in, tallying the next two outs shortly after to limit the damage through the first frame. 

Molina allowed one more hit through two more innings of work, recovering to turn in an overall nice outing before exiting in the top of the 4th inning with HPU still trailing, 3-0. Veteran pitcher Taylor Thompson entered for the Sharks, keeping the momentum from the sophomore going as she spun together four scoreless innings to keep the hosts within striking distance. 

HPU finally got on the board in the bottom of the 4th after Jewel Larson led off the inning with a base hit and moved to third after a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch. Center fielder Hoku Ching brought the Pearl City product home, poking an RBI single into the outfield to make it a 3-1 game with three more innings to work. 

They needed all three innings, waiting until there was one out in the bottom of the 7th before scoring again as Azusa Pacific starting pitcher Mia Castillo continued to stymie the Sharks’ offense. Looking for any type of spark, Lono used a pair of pinch hitters at the bottom of the lineup to try and get a runner aboard before the potent top of the lineup came up. 

Enter Neva Poulin. 

The senior outfielder smacked a pinch-hit, one-out double to give HPU new life as leadoff hitter Taryn Hirano stepped to the plate representing the tying run. Hirano quickly followed behind, lifting an RBI triple over the head of APU center fielder Hailey Burns to put the tying run for HPU just 60 feet away still with only one out. 

Alexis Oshiro tapped an RBI single up the middle to tie the game, 3-3, and then stole second to put herself in scoring position with Tiari Hernandez, the team leader in runs batted in on the season, at the plate. 

Then it was just up to Ari to do Ari things. 

The senior first baseman took a 3-2 offering from Castillo the other way to right field, driving in her 18th run of the year and scoring Oshiro from second to steal the game and the series from Azusa Pacific, 4-3. 

“This win was very needed,” Hernandez said immediately after the game. “I feel like we can carry this momentum into the next series. One of our team goals [this year] is to always win the series and this one really helps us [before] going on the road and going forward.” 

Taylor Thompson (5-5) was awarded the win for HPU after going 4.0 innings, striking out two and allowing two hits while keeping the potent APU lineup at bay. Mia Castillo (2-3) took the loss for the Cougars, going 6.1 innings and allowing four runs on nine hits while walking three HPU batters.  

Up next for the Sharks will be the first conference road trip to the continent in 2025, traveling to take on Concordia in a three-game set this weekend. The Golden Eagles currently lead the PacWest after a 15-2 overall start and a 6-0 record in conference play. 

“Big series this weekend,” said Lono of the upcoming road trip. “Hopefully, this is what they needed in order to get [ready to go] to Concordia.”