After the Hawks were shut out on Tuesday, they evened up the series with a win over the Modesto Junior College Pirates on Thursday with a final score of 10-4.

Sophomore pitcher Isaiah Williams got the start for the Hawks and pitched six innings, allowed no runs, gave up three hits and struck out three batters. Head coach Don Mico said he thought Williams pitched well in the team’s win.

“When guys don’t throw strikes, it gets our defense really lackadaisical out there, we get heavy feet and then offensively we get staggered,” Mico said. “When guys throw strikes it’s good and Isaiah did that today for us.”

Williams said this was his best pitching performance at home this season. He said dropping the first game of the series to Modesto motivated the team.

“Losing the first game always kind of puts a chip on your shoulders, so I think we just came in with more intensity as a team,” Williams said.

The Hawks jumped on the Pirates early by scoring four runs in the second inning. Sophomore left fielder Royce Tsumura hit a three-run home run over the right field wall in the inning.

“I was looking for a fastball and I got one in and just caught it out front,” Tsumura said.

Mico said even with an early four-run lead, the game was far from over.

“This is the Big 8,” Mico said. “It’s never done, we’ve been fortunate enough to have a couple games where we came back. The game is never over until the last 27th out is recorded.”

Tsumura said he was pleased with the team’s performance.

“We pitched really well and the pitchers pounded the zone and we strung together hits when we needed to,” Tsumura said.

Tsumura finished the day by going 1-for-1, one run, a sacrifice fly and drove in four of the Hawk’s 10 runs.

The Hawks would later score four more runs in the sixth inning, making it an 8-0 ballgame. Sophomore second baseman Colby Lunsford hit his second home run of the game in the sixth and it was his eighth home run of the year, which leads the team.

Lunsford said it felt good to beat Modesto in the second game of the series.

“It feels good, but job’s not done yet,” Lunsford said. “We gotta win Saturday, so we’re going to put it to them on Saturday.”

Lunsford finished 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs.

Mico said the team has been good in their late playoff push, with the Hawks winning eight of their last 10 games.

“Hopefully we keep on staying hot and we’re getting hot at the right time,” Mico said. “That’s what you want to do is play your best baseball at the end of the year.”

The Hawks play their final regular season game on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Modesto.