Fresno Pacific 6, Concordia 5
Box Score

Fresno Pacific 3, Concordia 2
Box Score

Fresno Pacific improved to 4-2 in GSAC play by hanging on for two wins over conference foe Concordia on Tuesday. Michael Rivera notched two saves, both of more than one inning, to preserve solid outings from Jesse Darrah and Matt Mazzoni.

The Sunbird bats exploded for a six-run third in the first game, then hammered out ten hits in game two. Rivera and Wes Dorrell each totaled three hits on the day.

Game 1
The Eagles would get to Jesse Darrah for two runs in the top of the third, but the Sunbirds came right back and gave their starter a comfortable lead to work with by putting up six runs in the bottom half.

Scott Laird got it started with a single to left and Michael Rivera followed suit. Patrick Bariteau would later draw a walk with the bases loaded and Wes Dorrell would hit a sac fly to tie the game 2-2, but the Sunbirds didn't stop there.

Andrew Douglas drove an RBI single to center to give FPU its first lead and the Sunbirds would then capitalize on a throwing error by the Concordia shortstop on a grounder that should have ended the inning but instead made the score 4-2 Sunbirds.

Alec Mehrten drove in two more with a double in the gap to right center that the Eagle outfielder couldn't quite lay out for. Now with a 6-2 lead, Darrah came out and struck out the side in the next inning.

Darrah would cruise along until the top of the 7th, when a string of Concordia singles got two runs across. It wasn't his best start, but Darrah looked dominant at times in a 6 1/3 inning effort that saw him give up three earned runs and strike out seven while walking four.

Greg Kilgore came on in relief and got two quick outs to hold the 6-4 FPU lead. Rivera then slammed the door on the Eagles in the 8th and 9th. He allowed one run to come across in the 9th, but the Eagles would try to bunt for a hit with two outs and Laird came up big with a throw across the diamond to end it.

Dean Persinger took the loss for the Eagles, throwing a complete game and striking out seven. Three of the six runs he gave up were earned.

Game 2
FPU left 14 runners on base in the second game, but got a boost from Matt Mazzoni who had struggled his past two starts but came out and threw 7 1/3 strong innings with six strikeouts.

The Sunbirds led 3-0 for most of the game before CUI got a run across in the 6th, then got a two-out solo homer from Ryan Scornaienchi to make the score 3-2.

With two Eagle runners on and one out in the 8th, Michael Rivera came on and picked the runner off second before getting a groundout to make the win just three outs away. He would surrender a two-out walk in the ninth, but got Scornaienchi to ground out to Wes Dorrell for the third out.

Dorrell and Tyler Pryor each went 2-for-5 in the win. Trent Soares doubled in the third and would score on an error to get the Sunbirds on the board first. Andrew Douglas added a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

Douglas and Alec Mehrten would each single and pull off a double steal in the 5th. FPU would load the bases and Rivera hammered a single to left to give the Sunbirds the one run they would manage that inning.

Concordia starter Brent Clapper gave up nine hits and four walks, but just three runs while striking out five. FPU pitchers received some significant help from their catcher Michael Vaughn throughout the day, as the Sunbird freshman threw out three potential base stealers with ease.

The Sunbirds (9-6) will travel to Irvine this Saturday for another doubleheader with the Eagles (6-6, 0-6 GSAC) who are on a six-game losing streak after being swept by #3 Cal Baptist prior to today's losses.