Box Score

WAIPAHU, Hawaii – Rob Dittrick (Jr., Mililani, Hawaii) hoped to end Pacific's seven-game Hawaii road trip with a victory in front of his home crowd Sunday, but Hawaii Pacific used a big fifth inning against the Boxers' ace to take a 10-6 victory and sweep the three-game series from the Boxers in baseball action at Hans L'Orange Park.
 
The Boxers' offense staked Dittrick to a 6-3 lead with a three-run fifth inning on a three-run homer by another hometown product, Mike Nagamine (Sr., Aiea, Hawaii), but the Sea Warriors scored four runs in the home half of the inning, including two on a RBI single by Russell Doi.  Hawaii Pacific added two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth.
 
Nagamine's homer led a rather solid day for Pacific at the plate as the Boxers out-hit the Sea Warriors 14-12, but also left nine men on base.  Kevin Schwartz (Sr., Milwaukie, Ore.) finished going 3 for 5 with a RBI and a run, while Nagamine went 2 for 5 with his three RBI homer.  Greg Tellez (Sr., White Salmon, Wash.) and Logan Moen (Jr., Brier, Wash.) also had two-hit games.
 
Dittrick took the loss in his first decision of the season, allowing seven runs, five earned, on eight hits, a walk and five strikeouts in five innings of work.
 
Pacific (1-6) got things going in the first inning, parlaying an error into two runs.  Jared Van Hoon (Sr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) reached when his bunt was mishandled with one out, with Schwartz scoring him on a long single to left center field.  Moen followed two batters later with a single to right, scoring Schwartz from second.
 
Derek Nakasato put Hawaii Pacific (7-0) on the board in the second with his solo homer to right field, then tied it in the fourth on a Kale Sumner triple that scored Blake Amaral and a fielding error that allowed Sumner home with two outs.
 
Tellez led off the Pacific fifth with a single.  Moen was then hit by a pitch to set the table for Nagamine, who hit his first homer of the season over the left center field wall. 
 
The Sea Warriors responded right away, taking advantage of some tired Pacific arms to take the last for good in the home half of the inning.  Nakasato and Rylan Morahira singled to open the inning, with Nakasato scoring on Troy Ajer's ground out.  After Sumner was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Doi connected on his two-RBI single up the middle to put the home team in front for good.  Sumner later added the fourth run of the frame when he scored on the Boxers' second error of the game.
 
Hawaii Pacific added two runs in the seventh on a Sumner double and a sacrifice fly and one more in the eighth.
 
Bryson Gauthe picked up his first win of the season for Hawaii Pacific in relief, allowing just three hits and a walk with five strikeouts in four innings of work.  Starter John Albert was chased in the Pacific fifth after giving up six runs, four earned, on 10 hits with a walk and three strikeouts.  Nakasato led the Sea Warriors at the plate with his 3 for 5 afternoon.
 
With their season-beginning seven-game road trip in the books, Pacific returns to the mainland and three games next weekend.  The Boxers will participate in the Cascade-Northwest Challenge in Portland with games against Oregon Tech on Friday, Puget Sound on Saturday and a doubleheader with Concordia (Ore.) on Sunday.