PHOTO GALLERY

Fresno Pacific 6, Cal State Monterey Bay 3
Box Score

A pair of freshmen helped lead FPU to victory in the 2012 home opener as starting pitcher Wilson Ashford tossed seven quality innings for the win and outfielder Kevin Magill went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the 6-3 win over Cal State Monterey Bay.

Karlan Andrews went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI out of the leadoff spot and Steven Lozier went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run in the two-spot to set the table for the rest of the Sunbird lineup.

Ashford was locked-in, going seven innings and giving up just four hits and one earned run. He struck out three and walked only one. Greg Kilgore earned the save with two quality innings for the Sunbirds, coming in with a three-run lead and finishing out the game after the Otters loaded the bases in the ninth.

Jordan Helmkamp tossed four good innings for the Otters, striking out five, but the Sunbirds would get to the CSUMB bullpen in the seventh. Trailing 2-1 after the seventh-inning stretch, the Sunbirds would get four runs across despite only one hit during the inning, an RBI single by Andrews. Two CSUMB errors and key walks by David Hawes, Lozier and Alec Mehrten assisted in the rally.

Cal State Monterey Bay 5, Fresno Pacific 2
Box Score

The Otters would come back with a victory in game two, stifling the Sunbird bats as FPU found itself looking to avoid a no-hitter late in the game.

Alec Mehrten's two-run blast to left field in the bottom of the 6th would be FPU's first hit of the game and would cut the Otter lead to 5-2, but the Sunbirds would manage just two more hits the rest of the way in the loss.

Steven Farnsworth gave the Otters a phenomenal start on the mound, tossing four innings of no-hit ball and striking out eight. He was replaced by Zac Grotz, who continued the no-hitter and struck out four before Mehrten's homer in the sixth. Harold Zosel came on after that to earn the four-out save.

Aaron Kirkpatrick got the start for FPU and threw four scoreless innings before running into trouble in the fifth. He'd manage to get out of a jam with just one run across, but the Otters would come right back with four runs in the sixth to get into the Sunbird bullpen. Ryan Cheek would strike out two in relief.

The Sunbirds continue their homestand tomorrow, hosting Oregon Tech at 5 pm.