The University of Hawaii at Hilo softball team finally is heading home after a split Tuesday and an 11-2 road trip in California.
Brandi Wilson put the Vulcans ahead with a three-run home run in the sixth inning, and Danielle Wilson hung on for a complete game as the Vulcans edged Academy of Art 9-8 in Brisbane, Calif.
A home run by Vanessa Salinas, who went the whole way in the circle, wasn’t enough in the opener, a 4-2 loss.
The Urban Knights scored all four run off Salinas in the fifth, and then they jumped on Danielle Wilson, taking a 5-3 lead on Elise Oldham’s solo home run in the third inning of the second game.
The Vulcans (23-15, 12-9 Pacific West Conference) used a Danielle Pulido double and two errors to take back the lead in the fourth.
Danielle Wilson (9-7) allowed 12 hits and six earned runs with four walks and four strikeouts.
In the sixth, Colleen Aubrey (2 for 4) walked and Brittany Huff doubled ahead of Brandi Wilson’s two-out blast to left center, her first home run of the season.
Emily Greene finished 2 for 3.
In the opener, Jessica West’s two-run single with two outs broke a 2-2 against Salinas (14-8).
Brenna Mitchell (13-10) went the distance for the Urban Knights (18-21, 10-9), allowing four hits and five walks with five strikeouts.
Salinas had two hits, and her home run was her fourth of the season.
UH-Hilo hosts BYU-Hawaii (7-19, 3-13) at noon Saturday in a doubleheader.
Baseball
UH-Hilo produced its fourth home run of the year and six pitchers combined on a four-hitter – but it wasn’t enough.
Robert Shiroky’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the eighth inning brought in the go-ahead run, and Concordia won 3-2 in Irvine, Calif., to hand the Vulcans their 16th consecutive loss.
Sam Kim had tied the game with a solo home run, his second, in the top half of the eighth.
Michael Slifer (1-4) took the loss for the Vulcans (6-20), and he was hurt by a walk and a hit batter.
Devin Lee started and allowed two hits over three hitless innings, but coach Kallen Miyataki’s plan all along was to use a pitching committee in the nonconference game.
UH-Hilo steps back into PacWest play Thursday at California Baptist.
Michael Jenkerson and Byron Freitas each had two hits for the Vulcans. Freitas doubled to open the third and later scored on Kim’s flyball to center field.
Hilo High graduate Keenan Nishioka led off the second with a double but was stranded.
Golf
Dalen Yamauchi closed with a 7-over 77, finishing in a tie for ninth at 10-over 226 at the Pioneer Invitational Vallejo, Calif.
Every other Vulcans golfer had their worst round of the tournament, save for Kyeton Littel, who matched his first-round 78 and was 17-over in a tie for 36th in the field of 107.
UH-Hilo (934) finished ninth in the 20-team field, 37 shots behind first-place Cal State-Monterey Bay.
James Coon shot his second consecutive 79 and tied for 51st at 19-over; Nick Matsushima (84) was another seven shots back in a tie for 73rd and Conner Graves (88) tied for 86th at 32-over.
Dixie State Kenny You (73) grabbed medalist honors at 2-over.
The Vulcans compete in the Jim Haney Intercollegiate April 20-22 in Turlock, Calif., their last tournament ahead of the PacWest championships.