Codey Ellenwood hit a three-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Hawaii Pacific University a 7-6 win over the University of Hawaii at Hilo on Sunday afternoon.
Ellenwood’s blast came in the second game of a nonconference baseball doubleheader at Hans L’Orange Field in Waipahu, Oahu. In the opener, the host Sea Warriors topped the Vulcans 11-10 in 10 innings.
HPU (25-13) swept the six-game series from the young Vuls (10-27), who saw their losing streak reach 15 games.
UH-Hilo, under first-year head coach Kallen Miyataki, finishes its regular season at home with a four-game series against Azusa Pacific University (April 17-19) and a six-game series against HPU (May 2-4) at Wong Stadium.
In Game 2, Chad Bolibol had four hits and Ellenwood, a junior catcher, had his clutch homer and four runs batted in to lead HPU. The Sea Warriors rallied from a 6-1 deficit to win in the bottom of the seventh.
Samuel King and Sean Nearhoof each had two hits and an RBI to lead the Vulcans.
Jeremy Fujimoto (4-0), the fifth HPU pitcher in the game, got the win. Kenan Sadanaga (0-1), the fifth UH-Hilo hurler, took the loss.
In the opener, the teams combined for 21 runs and 37 hits.
James Carraway led the Sea Warriors’ 19-hit attack with four hits. Keenan Nishioka (1 RBI) and Zachary Hamasaki each had three hits to lead the Vulcans, who pounded out a season-high 18 hits. Austin Cusack (4 RBIs), King (1 RBI), Nearhoof (1 RBI), Edison Sakata (1 RBI) and Ryan Fukunaga each added two hits.
Reliever Wyndam Williams (3-2) picked up the win. UH-Hilo reliever Jarin Kadooka (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
At Waipahu, Oahu
Game 1
UH-Hilo 002 002 321 0 — 10 18 4
HPU 133 210 0001—1119 0
Game 2
UH-Hilo0222000—690
HPU0001033—7121