WAIPAHU — A day after a shark was sighted off O'ahu's North Shore, the Honu spotted the Sharks ... a five-run lead.

The North Shore Honu overcame the deficit after five innings to turn back the Honolulu Sharks, 8-6, yesterday in Hawaii Winter Baseball at Hans L'Orange Park.

The Honu (18-7) sent nine batters to the plate in a six-run top of the sixth to take a 6-5 lead. Although the Sharks (12-12) tied it in the bottom of the sixth, the Honu regained the lead an inning later on Mat Gamel's two-out solo home run to win the rubber game of the three-game series.

"We keep somehow finding a way," Honu manager Kevin Bradshaw said. "Hopefully, we'll continue to do it, getting the two-out hits."

The six-run inning came against Sharks reliever Katsuyuki Aihara. He gave up five hits and a walk in the inning, including two-run singles to Chris Valaika and newcomer Billy Hart, who has been here less than a week because he was an injury replacement. It was just his third game.

Hart, the eighth batter in the inning, tied the score 5-5 with his single. He took second on right fielder Shoji Ohiro's throwing error to the infield.

Aihara was lifted for Chad Thall. With the new pitcher coming in and Phillip Britton having taken over at catcher the inning before for starter Matt Wieters, Hart was given the green light to steal third. He not only was safe, but scored when third baseman Brad Suttle missed Britton's high, but catchable throw that sailed down the left-field line.

"They were just giving it to me, so I figured I'd take it and hope for a bad throw," Hart said.

"We knew they had just put Britton into the game and don't think he was real loose," Bradshaw said. "With (the ninth hitter Jeramy) Laster coming up, we felt we had a chance to make something happen."

Thall (0-3) eventually struck out Laster to keep it a one-run game. But Honu reliever Charles Benoit labored in the bottom of the sixth with two walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch that tied the score at 6.

But in the top of the seventh, after Thall retired the first two batters on grounders to second, Gamel drilled a 3-1 fastball over the center-field fence to put the Honu ahead for good. It was his league-leading sixth homer of the season, and his second in as many games.

"It was a little bit up, but it was a pitch I can handle when it's decent," Gamel said.

Alex Presley's RBI single in the eighth was insurance for Benoit (4-0), beneficiary of the rally having given up a run in two innings. Kevin Roberts tagged on two more scoreless innings and Takashi Kamoshida pitched into and out of a first-and-third no-out jam in a scoreless ninth for his third save.

The Sharks wasted a nice pitching performance by starter Shingo Matsuzaki, who struck out nine in five scoreless innings of two-hit ball.

Austin Jackson was 3 for 4 with two stand-up triples for the Sharks.

WAIKIKI 6, WEST OAHU 3

Jeff Kindel hit a pair of two-run home runs to back the strong pitching of starter Yutaka Tamaki and lead the BeachBoys (11-14) in the second game.

Tamaki (3-0) allowed no runs, two hits and a walk with six strikeouts in seven innings. David Newton inherited runners at second and third with two outs in the ninth. He walked the first batter to load the bases before getting the final out for his second save.

Sean McCraw and Dan Murphy also homered for Waikiki.

Michael Cooper (1-2) gave up both of Kindel's homers in 3 2/3 innings for the CaneFires (11-14).

The league is off today and resumes play tomorrow.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.