Box Score

Wes Dorrell hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning and the #6-ranked Sunbirds hung on for an 8-7 win at Azusa Pacific on Wednesday night, capping a long day for the FPU baseball team.

The Sunbirds (20-11, 14-7 GSAC) spent the day trying to stay loose after transportation issues caused the team to arrive late and pushed the game's start time back. Once the team did finally hit the field it would be a battle from start to finish with the fourth-place Cougars (17-14, 10-10 GSAC).

The teams would change leads numerous times before Trent Soares sent the game to extra innings with a solo homer that tied the game 5-5 in the ninth.

Scott Laird would get the rally started in the 11th, with a one-out single to left. Dorrell followed with his sixth home run of the season, giving the Sunbirds a 7-5 lead. FPU didn't stop there, which would prove to be crucial.

Andrew Douglas doubled, prompting an APU call to the bullpen, but Tyler Pryor delivered an RBI single off new pitcher Jason Plowman. The Sunbirds had a chance for more, after two walks, but a fly out with the bases loaded ended the inning.

Michael Rivera had already thrown 2 2/3 innings, but stayed on the mound to get the all-important three outs in the 11th. He'd induced a double play and struck out the final batter in the 10th, and continued right along by striking out the first batter of the 11th.

That's when the Cougars began to claw their way back as they'd done twice before in the game. Back-to-back singles put the tying run at the plate, and though Rivera got the second out on a fly out and got one strike away on the next batter, a walk and another single brought two runners home and made the score 8-7.

Keeping his composure, Rivera went toe-to-toe with APU's 3-spot hitter Johnathan Erb, getting the Cougar first baseman to ground out to Dorrell and leave the tying run stranded on second base.

Rivera earned the win and Tim Lu took the loss for the Cougars. Soares and Pryor each finished with three hits for FPU, while APU's Alex Ring went 3-for-5 with the two-RBI hit in the 11th.

Jesse Darrah went 7 1/3 innings for the Sunbirds and gave up three earned runs while striking out nine. APU starter Colby Gurney went eight innings, surrendering four earned runs and 10 hits.

The Sunbirds got out to a 3-0 lead with home runs by Pryor and Michael Vaughn, and an RBI hit from Douglas. APU trailed 3-1 until the bottom of the 7th when the Cougars got a two-run pinch-hit homer from Trevor Lothrop.

Rivera doubled early in the next inning and was driven home by Karlan Andrews as FPU regained the lead, but a Sunbird error and wild pitch preceded a two-RBI hit by the Cougars in the bottom half of the inning which made it 5-4 APU.

Soares' game-tying homer to lead off the 9th was the second time this year he's come through with a clutch blast for the Sunbirds. FPU holds on to second place in the GSAC with today's win and will face Azusa again at 3 pm tomorrow.

Around the GSAC
#9 California Baptist 8, San Diego Christian (H) 5
#19 Biola (H) 8, Concordia 5
Point Loma Nazarene (H) 1, Vanguard 0
The Masters (H) 3, Westmont 1