Westmont 7, Fresno Pacific 6
Box Score

Fresno Pacific 6, Westmont 0
Box Score

#15 Fresno Pacific fell 7-6 in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, but shut the Warrior bats down in the nightcap to win 6-0.

Timothy Leary lifted Westmont in game one with a two-run homer in the ninth that broke a 5-5 tie. FPU got five scoreless innings from Kyle Lovero in game two, limiting Westmont to just three hits.

Game 1
The Sunbirds fought back from being down 5-2 in game one by scoring three runs in the bottom of the 7th. Aaron Lynn, the starting pitcher batting for himself, would get the game-tying sacrifice fly, getting him off the hook for the loss.

Lynn had some early struggles, but settled down in the 4th, 5th and 6th, allowing just one hit over those three innings. The Warriors would tack on two runs in top of the 7th though and load the bases with two outs before Greg Kilgore came on in relief to secure the final out of the inning.

Michael Rivera came in and would work the Sunbirds out of a jam in the 8th, but the Sunbirds weren't able to score in the bottom half. Leary was a one-man wrecking crew all game for the Warriors, going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI. After a leadoff single, he drove a ball over the fence in left center to give Westmont the 7-5 lead.

Things looked bleak for the Sunbirds in the bottom of the 9th as the first two batters got out. Tyler Pryor gave the home fans some hope though by clubbing a double off the wall down the right-field line.

With the tying run now at the plate FPU pinch-hit Andrew Douglas, who's been battling an injury and hadn't gotten an at-bat in more than three weeks. Douglas grounded the ball to short, but sped down the line with urgency and the Warrior shortstop made an errant throw, scoring Pryor and sending Douglas to second.

The game would end in anti-climactic fashion though with the tying run at second, as Lynn fouled out to the catcher. Jacob Regalado earned the win for the Warriors with two innings of relief. Michael Kwan started the game and was effective over five innings, giving up two runs, one earned.

Pryor finished the game with two hits and Michael Vaughn added two RBI. Rivera took the loss for FPU, giving up the home run for his first runs of the season.

More to come......

The Sunbirds regrouped after the loss in the opener and came out ready to play in less-than-ideal baseball temperatures as the night wore on.

David Hawes got his first start of the year on the mound and threw two scoreless innings, getting a couple of key double plays that fired up both the crowd and the Sunbirds' bench. The FPU lineup responded by giving the staff some early run support.

Trent Soares led off the Sunbird first with a single. Andrew Douglas, getting the start in game two, drew a walk and Wes Dorrell ripped a single to right that scored Soares. Alec Mehrten then delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Douglas.

Kyle Lovero came on to start the third inning and proceeded to mow right through the Westmont lineup. In five innings of work he gave up just two hits and no runs, while striking out six.

FPU would give him some insurance runs in the 5th, when the Sunbirds got four runs across during a two-out rally. Dorrell, who finished 3-for-4, had gotten it started but Pryor kept it going with a 2-out hit. After a Westmont error loaded the bases, Aaron Lynn drew a walk to get one run across.

Scott Laird then came through with the night's biggest hit. After being patient in the plate in game one, drawing three walks, he came out swinging in the nightcap, going 3-for-3. With the bases still loaded he crushed a pitch to left center that bounced off the wall for a bases-clearing double that made the score 6-0.

Lovero would continue to cruise over the next two innings to earn the win. He was aided by some exceptional defensive play behind him, particularly from Mehrten at shortstop, who stole away a hit up the middle with a diving stab, spin and throw.

Timothy Leary, the hero for Westmont in game one, struggled as the starting pitcher in game two as the Sunbirds lit him up for eight hits in five innings pitched. He gave up six runs, though only two were earned in the loss.

Both teams now stand at 2-2 in GSAC play. Westmont is 9-6 overall as the much-improved Warrior team is just four wins away from equaling last season's win total. FPU is now 7-6 and will host Concordia on Wednesday. The Eagles dropped all four games to #3 Cal Baptist this week.

Around the GSAC
California Baptist (H) 11, Concordia 2
California Baptist (H) 2, Concordia 0
Vanguard (H) 7, Azusa Pacific 6
Point Loma Nazarene at Biola – DH  – Postponed
The Masters at San Diego Christian – DH  – Postponed