So many scoring opportunities, so little scoring.

Nyjer Morgan's two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 2-all tie and lifted the Honolulu Sharks past the West Oahu CaneFires, 4-2, yesterday in Hawaii Winter Baseball at Les Murakami Stadium.

The Sharks (9-12) won their second consecutive game behind strong pitching in winning the three-game series.

Morgan entered the game as the league's second-leading hitter at .318. He was 0 for 4 before driving a 1-2 offering from Neil Jamison (0-1) to right-center.

"I was just looking for something I could drive, something to put in play," said the outfielder in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. "I had two strikes on me so I was waiting for him to make a mistake and put something over the plate."

In the Sharks' eighth, Ken Kato singled to shortstop with one out and took second when Atsushi Ugumori singled to center. Eric Campbell came in to pinch-hit and Brian Bixler entered to pinch-run at second for Kato, a catcher. After Campbell fouled out to first, Morgan, who split time between High-A Lynchburg (Va.) and Double-A Altoona (Pa.), delivered the triple.

The Sharks had opportunities to break the the game open early. CaneFires' starter Jeff Marquez walked three in a row with two outs in the first. But Van Pope swung at the first offering and fouled out to first baseman Mike Stodolka, who made a sliding catch near his dugout with a lot of white showing out of webbing.

Pope came up with the bases loaded again in the third inning, but again fouled out to Stodolka, but on a 1-1 count for the second out. Kato (3 for 4) salvaged the frame with a run-scoring single that tied the score at 1. But Ugumori left the bases full when he grounded out to short.

The CaneFires (9-10), who fell two games back of North Shore (11-8), had a chance to break the 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh. Brian McFall led off with a double off third baseman Pope's glove and took third when John Whittleman flied out to right. But Jeff Corsaletti, whose statistics last season suggested a patient hitter (97 walks to 85 strikeouts at High-A Wilmington (Del.)), popped out to short on the first pitch. Jose Vallejo was hit by a pitch, but Tomotaka Sakaguchi stranded the runners at the corners by grounding out to first.

The Sharks got another strong outing from their staff. Starter Hideki Asai went five innings, allowing a run on three hits, while striking out four. Scott Roehl went the next two innings, allowing a run and three hits.

Bruce Gallaway (1-0) tagged on a scoreless inning, while David Haehnel notched his third save with a perfect ninth.

Morgan, who leads the league with 13 steals, said he is hoping to achieve consistency while playing in this league.

"That's the key part of this game," he said. "I'm having fun, man, just going out there having fun, joking around and relax because it's a fun game."

NORTH SHORE 5, WAIKIKI 3

The Honu did all the damage they needed with a five-run second inning to fend off the BeachBoys (10-9) yesterday at Hans L'Orange Park.

Dustin Martin's RBI single ignited the rally, which also included Darren Ford's two-run double and Mike Carp's two-run single, all against Waikiki starter Rick Vanden Hurk (1-2), who allowed nine hits and two walks with six strikeouts in five innings.

North Shore starter Scott Koerber (3-0) gave up two runs, four hits and a walk in five innings. Zachary Hammes retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save.

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Waikiki outfielders Dexter Fowler and Eric Young Jr., North Shore infielders Rodney Choy Foo and Koby Clemens and West Oahu third baseman John Whittleman are scheduled to appear at Planet Fun at the Kunia Shopping Center from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. today. They will be available for photos and autographs, according to HWB.

FREE CLINIC

Chicago Cubs catcher Michael Barrett will be holding free clinics Saturday and Sunday at Hans L'Orange Park.

The clinic is open to players ages 8 to 18.

Barrett played for the Sharks in 1996 and the CaneFires in 1997.

Liability waivers must be signed by parents. For copies, see www.hawaiiwinterbaseball .com or call 973-7247.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.