It took extra innings in one case, but the UH Hilo baseball team kept its winning streak alive with a second doubleheader sweep of the visiting Holy Names Hawks on Thursday, 3-2 and 7-4; a release on the school's website said.
Game 1 was a hard-fought contest by both sides and went 11 innings before Jaryn Kanbara hit a walk-off home run to secure the 3-2 win.
James Yamasaki went nine strong innings, allowing 10 hits that were spread out across the game. John Kea came in for the 10th and 11th, facing the minimum of six batters in those two innings. He got three fly-ball outs in the 10th and struck out two in the 11th, keeping the score tied so that one run would win it. Kanbara led off the inning with his shot to left center. That the long ball would clear the fence was never in doubt.
In the second game, the Vulcans (17-6 overall, 6-4 in the Pacific West) overpowered the visitors, jumping to a 7-1 lead after four. The seven-inning game saw the Hawks (12-13, 5-7) try to stage a comeback, with two runs in the fifth and one in seventh.
In the Vulcans' five-run fourth inning, the Hawks got behind the eight-ball as three of the first four batters of the inning were hit by pitches. The third hit batsman forced in one run, setting the table for Joshua Fuentes to follow with an RBI single to left. A fielder's choice accounted for the third run of the inning, a throwing error let the fourth score, and Lucas Sakay's sacrifice fly rounded out the offensive output for the frame.
Kyle Alcorn earned the win after throwing five innings, allowing five hits and three runs.
The Vulcans take their five-game win streak to Concordia for a doubleheader on Monday.