by LA MIRADA, Calif. – Hawai’i Pacific University snapped the 16-game winning streak of No. 1 Concordia Irvine with a 4-1 PacWest Conference win in splitting a doubleheader on Thursday at Eagles Field.
The Sharks (19-15, 13-7) dropped the first game to the No. 1 Eagles (16-2, 7-1) had a three-game win streak ended 7-1.
Junior righthander Emilee Leonard (6-4) of La Mirada, Calif./Saint Paul pitched all seven innings in winning the second game for her sixth complete game for the Sharks. She struck out six while allowing one run on five hits with three walks.
Jordan Curry (11-5) of Farmington, N.M./Navajo struck out a season-high eight batters in recording her 13th complete game, but was tagged with the game one loss allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with four walks in six innings.
Junior Sierra Dias of Mililani, Hawai’i/Bishop Gorman went 2-for-3 in game two and freshman Noel Saunders of Pearl City, Hawai’i/Pearl City went 2-for-4 with the only RBI and one run scored. Sophomore catcher Mary Dungey of Las Vegas, Nev./Silverado also went 2-for-4 in the game.
In game one, the Sharks couldn’t catch a break. The Eagles scored two runs in the opening frame on a walk, two base hits and two wild pitches.
The Sharks only run of the game came in the fourth as senior shortstop Tiana Cantero-Kawelo of Wahiawa, Hawai’i/Leilehua cranked a triple to right field and Dias brought her home with a sacrifice fly making it 2-1.
However, the Eagles answered right back scoring five more runs in the bottom of the fourth on five hits including a two-run homer and an HPU fielding error eventually ending the game at 7-1.
The Eagles sophomore pitcher Callie Nunes (11-1), who is No. 22 in the nation in strikeouts, picked up the win allowing one earned run on just two hits with 11 strikeouts.
