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HPU trips up
Lewis-Clark

The Hawaii Pacific University baseball team knocked off defending NAIA champion Lewis-Clark State, 8-5, yesterday at Hans L'Orange Park.

It was the final home game of the season for the Sea Warriors.

Scott Suraci hit a two-run homer and finished the game with four RBIs for HPU.

Gil Pierce went 4-for-5 for the visiting Warriors.

Palani Nunes, in relief of Kelton Otsuka, was the winning pitcher.

On Tuesday, the Sea Warriors beat Division I San Jose State, 10-9.

Starting tomorrow, HPU (14-10) will hit the road for eight games in one week against California teams. During this grueling stretch, the Sea Warriors will play California State-Chico, Sonoma State, San Jose State, San Francisco State and California State-Stanislaus.

HPU will finish the season on April 30 against UH-Hilo in Hilo.

HPU softball team moves up

It was a good day for the HPU softball team yesterday.

Early in the day, the Lady Sea Warriors found out they moved up seven spots to No. 16 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Top 25.

Later, HPU (24-7) swept a doubleheader from the Columbia College Cougars of Missouri, 1-0 and 3-1.

Samee Fernandez, Lyrissa Sagawa and Ashelle Acosta pounded two hits each for the Lady Sea Warriors in the opener, and Jennifer Woodard won her sixth straight.

Woodard has now pitched 39 consecutive scoreless innings.

Fernandez and Holly Garcia swatted two hits in the second game and Susie Schoales pitched the shutout. Garcia had the game-winning hit.

Eight out of the Sea Warriors' last 10 wins have been shutouts.

Cougars Can Play

After two years of extensive fund-raising, the Cougars of Columbia College have finally seen the fruit of their labor with their one-week stint in Hawaii, which began last weekend.

Though surf and sun are definitely on the Cougars' minds, they have shown they can play. The NAIA school is 19-9.

The Cougars have traditionally had strong regular seasons, but have faded quickly in the postseason. They're hoping the tougher Division II competition will be the key to reversing the trend.

The Cougars are also competing against Division II teams BYUH and Chaminade this week.

Vulcans host Spartans

Nearly two weeks after their last game, the UH-Hilo Vulcans baseball team will resume Western Athletic Conference play with a three-game series against San Jose State beginning today at 6 p.m. at Francis Wong Stadium in Hilo.

It will be UH-Hilo's second series against the Spartans this season. The Vulcans (13-18 overall, 4-8 in WAC) opened their first WAC season in San Jose (18-10, 5-4) in late February and lost the three-game series, 2-1.

The Vulcans are coming off their first WAC series win ever -- a 2-1 win over the TCU Horned Frogs.

The Vulcans hope to make it two series victories in a row, while also helping head coach Joey Estrella get closer to a personal milestone. Estrella is just four victories shy of the 500-win mark, with career totals currently at 496-517-3.

Right-hander Kaholo Rickard (4-3, 2.68 ERA) is the probable starter for tonight's game. Left-hander Thomas Ford (3-2, 3.55) is penciled in as the starter tomorrow and Luke Holscher (2-4, 5.85) will most likely start the series finale at Simmons Field in Kailua-Kona on Saturday.

Despite their sub-.500 overall mark, the Vulcans are 6-1 at Simmons Field with their only loss being a 3-2 squeaker to Rice in the final game of their first WAC homestand.

Denman to UH-Hilo

The UH-Hilo women's volleyball team received a national letter of intent from 5-foot-8 setter Megan Denman of Clovis West High School in Fresno, Calif.

A senior, Denman was named second-team all-conference and all-district, and she led the district with 621 assists.

"Megan is a gifted athlete," coach Sharon Peterson said. "She has soft setting hands, great court sense and wonderful leadership skills. Her greatest asset is her willingness to consistently work hard to improve the game she most enthusiastically loves -- volleyball."

Denman joins 5-10 outside hitter Sara Pilgreen as incoming freshmen.

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By Brandon Lee, Special to the Star-Bulletin