For Baltimore Orioles' farmhand David Haehnel, Hawaii Winter Baseball was the perfect solution.

Haehnel (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings and teamed with four other pitchers on a four-hitter to help the Honolulu Sharks enter the win column for the first time in a 7-0 win against the Waikiki BeachBoys last night before 296 at Les Murakami Stadium.

"I'd probably be working at some kind of baseball facility, giving pitching lessons," Haehnel said.

Instead, he gets to work on getting his groove back. This past season at Single-A Frederick, Haehnel struggled with command, walking 61 in 115 2/3 innings resulting in a 2-11 record with a 6.22 earned run average. He wants to use HWB to work out the kinks.

"I was in the bullpen the previous two years and I got put into the bullpen this year," Haehnel said. "My mental approach kind of went down hill and I was getting down on myself. Instead of trying to throw strike one, I was trying not to throw ball one. I'm excited with the bullpen. I'm comfortable with that role."

Haehnel allowed two of the four hits in his two innings, but did not walk a batter while striking out one. He entered the game in the fourth inning for starter Takuma Kadowaki, who allowed the only three walks to the BeachBoys (2-1).

"He certainly adjusted well tonight and did a nice job for us," Sharks manager Gary Kendall said of Haehnel.

The Sharks (1-2) avoided the series sweep as their pitching received strong defensive support, especially from the left side. Shortstop Brian Bixler made two fine plays, including a diving stop up the middle of a grounder by Chris Nelson. From the sitting position, Bixler threw out Nelson. Also, third baseman Van Pope made a diving stop to rob Grant Psomas of a possible extra-base hit. Pope dived toward the line, got up and gunned down Psomas.

"It was a well-played defensive game," Kendall said. "Those plays that Bixler and Van Pope made were outstanding."

The Sharks also took advantage of the BeachBoys' inability to retire the lead-off hitter. Five times the lead-off batter reached for the Sharks, and they scored. Steve Lerud went 2 for 2 with three RBIs. His two-run single in the third increased the Sharks' lead to 4-0.

"I was feeling much better after that point," Kendall said.

Paco Figueroa was 2 for 3 with two walks, scoring three times, each when he led off an inning.

The BeachBoys' biggest threat came in the first, when they loaded the bases with no outs. But Kadowaki struck out Cole Garner and got Reed Easterly to ground to second for an inning-ending double play.

"I finally go the monkey off my back," Kendall said of the team's first win. "I'm starting to enjoy Hawai'i a little bit."

The BeachBoys will host the Honu tomorrow at Murakami. Game time will be 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes later than usual. The Sharks will travel to Hans L'Orange to play the CaneFires tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.