By West Hawaii Today staff
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HILO — Hawai’i Hilo Softball completed a three-game sweep of HPU to move to 6-0 in conference play after taking down the Sharks, 7-3, Thursday afternoon in PacWest action at the Vulcan Softball Field.

HPU managed to jump on the scoreboard first with three consecutive base hits to plate two runs in the opening frame, but Hawai’i Hilo responded right back in the bottom of the first with six singles aided by two defensive errors for four runs. The Vulcans maintained a one-run lead until the bottom of the sixth with three more base knocks to add on three insurance runs for the eventual final score.

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Chloe Sales got her first win of the season in the pitching circle, going 6.2 innings in relief with just one run allowed. Despite one error, the Vulcans defense was solid and closed the game with their second double play of the afternoon, bringing their season total to 14 to currently lead all of Division II through the first month of action.

Victoria Macias led the charge at the plate batting 3 for 4 as all but one of the Vulcans’ 11 total hits were singles — Hawai’i Hilo ranks No. 3 in Division II at a total of 195. Jayda Favela tallied a pair of hits and is currently tied at No. 1 (34) with Macias close behind in a tie at No. 7 (30).

Hawai’i Hilo moved to 6-0 in the PacWest (12-7 overall) as HPU moved to a 2-4 conference record (8-13 overall).

Other notes

• Favela’s two hits also brought her career total to 164, moving past both Leo Sing Chow (‘03, ‘05-‘07) and Kiarra Lincoln (‘18-‘21) to No. 6 all-time in the Vulcans record books. The senior shortstop also came across the plate twice to move her career total to 103, surpassing Rebecca Lee (‘13-‘14) to No. 7 all-time in the program record books.

• Other current NCAA Division II rankings include: No. 8 Double Plays Per Game (0.74); No. 8 Sacrifice Bunts (17); No. 9 Triples (10); No. 11 Runs Scored (126); No. 11 Walks (66); No. 14 Hit By Pitch (14); No. 15 RBI (108).

• Hawai’i Hilo earned two more points to take an extra early advantage of 12 total points in the softball section of the PacWest Hawai’i Challenge. One more win would wrap up competition and seal the highest score of three team points to the overall total, but the Vulcans will not play Chaminade or HPU until the end of the season at the end of April.

Up next: Noon today vs. Concordia (Hilo / Vulcan Softball Field)