HPU completes series sweep over Jessup with 9-6 comeback win

WAIPAHU — This was a momentum-shifting weekend.

The Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team completed a four-game PacWest series sweep over Jessup with a 9-6 win at Hans L’Orange Park Monday night.

It was a much-needed stretch of victories for the Sharks (8-9). HPU was coming off its first road trip of the season where it loss six in a row and went 2-7.

“We’ve been talking about since day one. Our goal is just to get better every week,” said HPU fifth-year coach Dane Fujinaka. “I thought our guys did a really good job throughout the series after getting punched in the mouth a few times, being able to respond back.”

Adversity struck the Sharks early in game four of the series when the Warriors (9-8) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the first inning — but HPU rallied to score runs in five of its final six innings on a series-high 16 hits to complete the sweep.

Fujinaka credited associated head coach Richard Higa for getting the Sharks ready to perform at the plate.

“He comes up with all the reports so hitters aren’t going int the box blind, without a plan. I thought they executed the plan really well against all their arms. I think when we do that, we’re a pretty exciting offense to watch,” Fujinaka said.

Jessup had a pair of homers to take a 2-0 lead in the first and a 5-4 lead in the fifth, but it was HPU’s Ethan Murakoshi who had the clutch home run of the night with a shot over the left-centerfield fence on the first pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Sharks the lead for good, 7-6.

Murakoshi also added an RBI single in the eighth and came home for the final run of the game for the final point total.

“That was unbelievable,” Fujinaka said of Murakoshi’s go-ahead blast. “It might be the biggest hit in his career so far. He’s come a long way from last year, from a maturity standpoint, from a confidence standpoint. For him to be able to get one in that situation, he’s going to be a big-time player.”

Three different players had three hits for HPU on Monday night. Leadoff hitter Kan Taguchi went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Five-hole hitter and catcher Blake Helsper drove in the most runs with three RBIs, including a 2 RBI single that gave HPU a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning. Christian Perez was the last Shark with three hits, going 3-for-5.

Left-handed pitcher Garrett Sinfield earned the win on the mound in the series finale against Jessup. | Photo: Daniel Fujita

Noah Meaux recorded his second save in three night for the Sharks on Monday. He helped get the first out in the top of the eighth before moving to right field, then retook the mound in the ninth and ended the game on a swinging strikeout with the bases loaded.

The Sharks started the series with a 10-6 victory on Saturday night when they opened game one with a 4-1 lead after the first inning and a 9-4 lead after the third.

The Sharks started the series with a 10-6 victory on Saturday night when they opened game one with a 4-1 lead after the first inning and a 9-4 lead after the third.

Jayden Gabrillo (3-2) was the winning pitcher in the series-opener with five innings pitched while adding a RBI double and two runs scored. He also played the hero in the first game of a double-header on Sunday with a pinch-hit RBI single in a 3-2 walk-off victory.

All smiles for Jayden Gabrillo Sunday afternoon as he played the hero in a 3-2 walk-off win. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Game three of the series saw the Sharks come away with 13-8 victory. They scored in their first five innings of that game, which included 10 runs combined in the third and fourth innings.

HPU takes on Azusa Pacific next to continue conference play. The first game of the series is Thursday at 5:30 p.m.