Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

Fresno Pacific split a doubleheader with Vanguard in Costa Mesa on Thursday, faltering late in the first game to lose 3-2 but bouncing back for a 5-1 win in the second game.

The first game was a pitching duel between Matt Mazzoni and VU's Mike Leal, but the Sunbirds had a meltdown leading 2-0 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, allowing three Vanguard runs to come across aided by two errors.

Ryan Castadio helped the Sunbirds bounce back in game two, taking a shutout into the ninth and finishing the complete game giving up just one unearned run.

Alec Mehrten had put the Sunbirds on top with a two-RBI single up the middle in the seventh inning of the first game, after six scoreless frames on both sides. FPU would strand the bases loaded in that inning and it came back to bite them in the bottom half.

Mazzoni got the first two batters out but things began to unravel for the Sunbirds from there. Two singles and an error led to one run. VU pinch-hitter Jacob Domingos delivered another single and that, combined with the second FPU error of the inning, brought in two more runs to make it 3-2 Lions.

The Sunbirds wouldn't put up much of a fight after that, going down in order in the 8th and 9th as Leal solidified his win and Robert Purpura pitched the ninth for the save. Mazzoni took the loss for FPU, though both of his runs were unearned.

That made the second game a must-win and the team delivered behind a great outing from Castadio. The scoring would come sparingly as a Wes Dorrell sac fly in the third and some sloppy play from the Lions in the 6th put FPU up 2-0.

This time the team would hold the two run lead as Castadio scattered four hits and walked only one while striking out four to earn the win. The Sunbirds gave him a cushion to work with by tacking on three runs in the top of the 8th to go ahead 5-0.

An RBI bunt single from Patrick Bariteau, a wild pitch and an RBI sacrifice bunt by Scott Laird accounted for the scoring that inning as the team got three runs across unconventionally.

The Lions would score once in the ninth off an error and put two men on, but Castadio worked out of it to send FPU home with the win. The Sunbirds are now 23-13, 17-9 GSAC on the season. Vanguard is 12-13 in conference play, 16-19 overall.

FPU will host Vanguard this Saturday at 2 pm for another doubleheader. Jesse Darrah and Aaron Lynn are ready to go for the Sunbirds.

Around the GSAC

*Biola leads the league with an 18-6 record after today's win over Cal Baptist (18-8). The Sunbirds are one game back of CBU.

Wednesday
Point Loma Nazarene 14, The Masters (H) 6
Point Loma Nazarene 9, The Masters (H) 3
#8 Cal Baptist 10, #7 Biola (H) 6
Concordia 4, Westmont (H) 3

Thursday
Azusa Pacific 16, San Diego Christian (H) 12
Vanguard (H) 3, Fresno Pacific 2
#7 Biola 6, #8 Cal Baptist 2
Concordia 7, Westmont 2