FRESNO, CA -- Fresno Pacific baseball knows what it's like to battle from behind at an NAIA regional. The Sunbirds pulled off that feat last season, winning five straight elimination games to reach the NAIA World Series.
They'll have to repeat that magic if they want to return to the World Series this year. Tuesday the Sunbirds lost the opener of the NAIA Opening Round Tournament, 14-12 to rival Point Loma Nazarene in front of a home crowd of nearly 200 fans at FPU Field.
Fresno Pacific (35-16) plays an elimination game at 11 a.m. Wednesday (May 19) against Ohio Dominican, which lost 7-6 to Houston-Victoria in Tuesday's first game. The Wednesday morning winner advances to a 7 p.m. elimination game Wednesday.
The Sunbirds will rely on the arm of their ace,
Kelyn Schellenberg (11-3, 3.58 era). "He has to go a complete game," said Fresno Pacific coach
Oscar Hirschkorn, who used four pitchers in Tuesday's game. "At least, that's the plan. He's done it before."
Schellenberg has pitched nine complete games this season.
The Sunbirds' offense produced 22 hits and 12 runs against the defending NAIA runners-up. But Point Loma was a bit better, pounding 14 runs on 18 hits. Fresno Pacific pitchers gave up eight walks.
After falling behind 6-1, FPU rallied to get within one at 7-6. But the Sea Lions scored five runs in the sixth inning for a 12-6 lead. The Sunbirds rallied again, but came up two runs short.
Hirschkorn believes his team has the character to rebound from Tuesday's loss.
"This is the toughest bunch of kids I've ever had," he said.
And he knows what the task is, having accomplished it last season: "We have to win five straight."
