Meaux, Sharks turn the lights out on Sunbirds in series win

WAIPAHU — Noah Meaux’s mother has never seen him pitch in a collegiate game heading into the week.

Against Fresno Pacific, she saw him make four pitching appearances in two days.

Meaux and the Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team are riding high after taking the series win over the Sunbirds with a pair of wins on Wednesday and a Game 4 victory to close out the series Thursday night at Hans L’Orange Park.

It was a much-needed series victory for the Sharks, who are fighting for their postseason lives as they improved to 13-11 in PacWest conference play.

“It definitely meant a lot,” Meaux said. “My mother has never seen me pitch in a collegiate game so that was awesome. As far as four appearances in two days — I’d blow my whole arm out. I’d do anything for my guys at the end of the day.”

Wednesday’s games saw HPU clutch up in a 13-9 win and a 3-2 victory with Meaux recorded saves in both games.

Noah Meaux picks up his first save of the series in Game 1 against Fresno Pacific. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Thursday had potential to end really badly for the Sharks however.

In Game 3 of the series, HPU took a pair of one-run leads after the sixth and seventh inning before giving up two in the top of the eighth and six more in the top of the ninth in a 15-8 loss.

The drought continued to start Game 4 with Fresno Pacific scoring in the first three innings to take a 6-0 lead.

But the Sharks battled back and capitalized on the Sunbirds’ miscues and free passes as the home team tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs on just two hits.

HPU scored the go-ahead run on a one-out groundout in the fifth before plating three more runs to take a 10-6 lead heading into the sixth. Meaux came in to pick up the final six outs as the Sharks went on to win the series, 12-7.

“It was just phenomenal,” Meaux said of how Thursday’s games ended. “We didn’t start off too hot, we could have pressed and we really could have gave up in the beginning, but our guys started to piece it together. We put up a whole bunch of runs, started a rally and gave us a chance to win.”

Noah Meaux enters the dugout after getting out of the eighth inning in Game 4 against the Sunbirds. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

The left-handed Meaux entered Game 4 with a four-run lead — just one run over the save conditions — but in the team’s eyes, he recorded three saves in the series.

“This is the best closer not just in Division II, not in the PacWest, in all of college baseball and he showed it this weekend why he’s that guy,” said HPU pitching coach Zachary Swanson.

Meaux pitched 6 and 1/3 innings across four pitching appearances in two days against the Sunbirds, allowing just two earned runs while striking out six, including the final three outs of the series.

His shortest stint was Game 3 when he picked up the final two outs of the top of the eighth inning after Fresno Pacific tied the game. Meaux made sure the coaching staff knew to leave him on the mound the next time.

“Noah Meaux is unbelievable,” said HPU head coach Dane Fujinaka.

“My only regret is not leaving him out there in Game 3. He made four appearances, pitching every game. If I leave him in there, we win Game 3 too so that’s kind of on me. He came up to me after Game 3 and said ‘I better be in Game 4 at some point with the lead.’ I’m speechless. I’ve never seen anything like it. He’s the toughest pitcher I’ve ever coached in my career.”